AN: With this drabble I'm officially reaching the 100k word milestone on this collection! Yay!
This is a drabble written for lovely Rachel aka themikaelsoncupcake who was so generous to donate to Klaroline Gives Back initiative. Thank you so much and I really hope you like this!
This drabble is based on her prompt:
Klaus is a single parent of twin girls, he receives a call from their first grade teacher, Ms Forbes, who wants to see him immediately regarding their behaviour in class.
"You think it's gonna work?"
Rachel looked at her twin sister looked earnestly, patting her shoulder in a comforting gesture. "I know it will, Pheebs."
"But what if Ms. Forbes hates us?" Phoebe's lips quivered with worry.
"If she marries daddy, she can't be mad at us anymore," Rachel reassured her.
She knew it would work. It had to work. That was the plan.
Klaus was staring at the phone as the conversation he had finished just minutes ago left him startled. It had been the twins' new teacher on the other end and her angelic voice was still ringing in his ears.
Angelic voice that had been quite angry with him, if he were to be honest.
He had been busy painting in his studio, something he dabbled in whenever he had a chance and that was certainly one of those moments. With his sister Rebekah and her boyfriend Matt taking the girls to the park, he was free to concentrate on the latest piece he had been working on.
That was, until a phone call from the twins' school put a stop to his artistic endeavors.
"Klaus Mikaelson."
"Hello, Mr. Mikaelson, this is Caroline Forbes speaking. I'm Phoebe and Rachel's new teacher," the woman introduced herself.
"Ah, yes, the famous Ms. Forbes. I've been hearing quite a lot about you, love," he purred into the speaker.
Flirting with his daughters' newest teacher from the get-go was most probably a horrible idea and yet, Klaus couldn't help himself. The melodic timbre intrigued him from the start, compelling him to imagine exactly how the owner of this sweet voice looked like. Perhaps she was a mysterious brunette or a fiery blonde, her long curls bouncing around her shoulders while she explained something to kids in class, gesturing vividly.
""Well, that's great and all, Mr. Mikaelson but now I'd like you to do less talking and more listening, if you feel so inclined."
Yes, definitely a fiery blonde.
As unnecessary as it was, given she couldn't see him, Klaus fought to repress the huge grin threatening to curve his lips before he answered, "Forgive me, love, I'm all ears now."
"It's Ms. Forbes," she corrected him and Klaus' mind filled with endless scenarios involving him in an empty classroom with a very strict, angry Caroline.
Seconds later, he scolded himself internally. He couldn't believe he was having fantasies of his daughters' teacher and all based on just her voice.
How entirely inappropriate.
It must have been much too long for him.
But perhaps it wasn't that strange considering the constant praises the twins had been singing about their new teacher for weeks now. It was all "Ms. Forbes likes this" or "Ms. Forbes said that" with them lately. It was only natural that he was curious about this woman who completely won over the hearts of Rachel and Phoebe. The girls hadn't had much opportunity for female companionship besides their aunt Rebekah. With her extremely busy lifestyle, their mother wasn't present much and it was something Klaus regretted greatly.
While he and Aurora might have had their differences (mainly due to the fact that she could be plain crazy sometimes), she was still the mother of their children and the girls adored her. However, with her current modelling job, she had developed a habit of dropping them off whenever she could, regardless of their custody schedule.
Klaus was doing everything he could to offer his girls as much stability as it was possible but still, it somehow felt like it wasn't enough. And the very obvious attachment both Phoebe and Rachel had developed for their teacher certainly peaked his interest.
"Anyway," she continued, "I was wondering if you could come by my office some time this week? I'd like to discuss your daughters' recent behaviour in class."
The request and the stern tone that had been used with it immediately alarmed him and the smirk that had been lighting up his face from the beginning of this conversation faded now. "And what exactly do you mean by that, Ms Forbes?"
There was a deep sigh at the other end of the line, followed by some low murmuring that almost made Klaus smile again because of how adorable she sounded. "I've grown really concerned with Phoebe and Rachel's attitude lately. They were behaving like angels at first but now they are like these totally different kids and this really worries me and I can't figure out the reason and so I thought perhaps we could talk about it because maybe there is something they are going through at home? Not that I'm placing the blame on you, of course I'm not, but I have no idea and this is my first serious teaching job and it looks like I've already screwed up so this is all seriously...," Caroline rambled hurriedly.
He chuckled involuntarily, slightly impressed that she managed to let out so many words in one breath and then he took his opportunity to cut in, "What exactly did the girls do, sweetheart?"
It seemed she was too distraught to scold him for using endearments this time as she went on, "There were a few pranks but it's really the sudden change that puzzles me. I don't want to worry you for no apparent reason but I've always thought it's good to face all problems head on. So could we meet some time this week?
"Of course. I'm picking girls up from school tomorrow so we could discuss it then. Would it be convenient for you, Ms. Forbes?" Klaus inquired, wanting to know what the problem was as soon as possible. The twins had always had a mischievous streak, but had never done something serious enough to grant a call from school. The father in him worried if something might have eluded him. Or was it just an overreaction on part of a new, still very much enthused teacher?
"Yes, absolutely!" Came the enthusiastic reply.
"It's a date then," he spoke softly, yet confidently.
"It most certainly is not, Mr. Mikaelson," she retorted, making him chuckle as she promptly disconnected the call.
Oh, the sass, Klaus admired as he was staring at the phone in his hands. One thing was certain, now he positively couldn't wait to meet Ms. Caroline Forbes.
Smiling brightly at the kids running out of the class, Caroline tried to reign in her nerves. She was about to meet with Phoebe and Rachel's father in a matter of minutes, providing he would be cordial enough to get here on time. She hoped that would be the case as with each passing moment, she was growing more and more anxious.
Caroline was confident enough in her own qualifications but still, the position in this exclusive primary school in New Orleans was actually her first teaching job. And on top of that, she was about to experience her first parent-teacher conference, or rather, a meeting. She had moved to NOLA just a few months ago, leaving her hometown and a broody boyfriend behind. She had nothing against Stefan's white picket fence dreams or actually, she wouldn't have, if he hadn't tried to force them upon her. With no consideration for her own hopes and goals, like seeing the world outside Mystic Falls.
Well, if he thought Caroline Forbes would let anyone walk all over her, he had another thing coming.
"Goodbye Ms. Forbes!" Rachel's merry voice broke her out of her thoughts. The class had emptied by now, except for the troublesome twosome standing before her.
In her profession, Caroline had always been taught not to get overly attached to her pupils. This had proven to be a bit difficult with the Mikaelson twins. The girls were bright and uncommonly outspoken for someone their age - and those exact traits reminded Caroline of her at the same age. She was also aware of their "divorced parents situation" and that was certainly something she could sympathize with, coming from a split family herself.
The truth was, the girls hadn't caused any trouble up until a few weeks ago. They had always paid attention in class, taking active part in all discussions, activities as well as doing their homework. The change in their behaviour wasn't subtle at all, it just happened one day with their first prank. After that, it would be a little joke here and a little stunt there, like putting a fake snake in her drawer or filling the whiteboard markers with glue. From Caroline's perspective, their actions weren't mean-spirited (although that fake snake hoax had come close - she hated those) but they were disruptive to the class environment nonetheless. Something had to be done.
Before Caroline had a chance to say goodbye to her favourite mischievous duo, a deep accented voice could be heard from the door, "Hello, angels."
"Daddy!" the twins shrieked, running into the arms of the blond stranger who was most probably Mr. Mikaelson. The man crouched and enveloped the children into a giant hug, kissing their temples in an affectionate gesture.
The scene stole a smile from Caroline, whose heart warmed at the clear love he looked at his daughters. There was also something vaguely familiar about his features, the deep crimson of his perfectly-kissable lips and his sandy curls. Phoebe and Rachel's father was certainly attractive, inconveniently so.
Pull yourself together, Forbes.
She meant to have a serious conversation with him after all, nothing more.
Rachel pulled away a little, curiosity simmering in her bright blue eyes as she peered at her father, "What are you doing here, Daddy? You always wait outside."
"I just need to speak with Ms. Forbes for a moment, pumpkin," he explained, messing her blonde hair with his hand until the girl escaped with a giggle.
"Did we do something wrong, Daddy?" Phoebe asked with worry marring her face.
Smiling gently at his other daughter, he tipped her chin so she would look at him and said reassuringly, "Of course not, sweetheart. But Ms. Forbes is your teacher and we need to talk about some adult things."
Nodding, Phoebe prodded further, "Like when you and Mommy talk?"
"Something like this, pumpkin."
"But when you and Mommy talk, you always yell at each other," the little girl's lip trembled as she squinted at her dad.
Sighing, Klaus hugged his baby girl once more, his gaze meeting Caroline's over her shoulder, "I promise it won't be like this, sweetheart. Isn't it right, Ms. Forbes?" He smirked in a silent challenge, knowing very well she could only answer that question one way with the kids present.
What a smug bastard he was.
Also, damn him, because the way his ocean blue eyes bore into hers was making her insides melt and she couldn't have that.
"Of course it won't," Caroline croaked, sending him a glare. Well, at least she wasn't nervous anymore, she was just annoyed.
"See, little loves? Now, can you wait outside so that Ms. Forbes and I can have a chat?"
The twins nodded enthusiastically in agreement. A gleeful flicker crossed Rachel's eyes before she went on to say, "Sure thingy, Dad. Chat however long you want."
The girls exchanged a knowing glance, making Klaus entirely too suspicious. In his defence, they did grow up around their uncle Kol (or rather, he was growing up with them), so he actually had reasons to question their behaviour.
After the twins had left the classroom and closed the door, Caroline couldn't help but scold him. "You really have some nerve, don't you, Mr. Mikaelson," she scowled at him, hands on her hips and her eyes throwing daggers.
Klaus thought she looked just exquisite. "Please, call me Klaus, love. And need I remind you that we promised to behave ourselves?"
"Vividly," she deadpanned. "And if you insist on using these entirely inappropriate endearments, you might as well call me Caroline. Now, could we get to the point?"
At that, he grew serious, a deep frown staining his handsome face. "Absolutely. Your telephone actually concerned me a great deal, Caroline. The girls have been behaving nothing short of stellar at home so to know they were acting out during class...How did I miss it?"
The clear vulnerability of his words earned him a gentle smile that brightened up her already sunny features. "Oh, no, please don't blame yourself. It's impossible to notice everything. And children are just little mysteries, you know?" Caroline's face lit up as she spoke, her hand closing over his on the desk in a comforting gesture. Upon contact, a little jolt of electricity seemed to skip between them, causing her to retract her hand just as quickly.
His bewildered expression told her he felt it too, profound silence stretching between them as their eyes locked together. Caroline couldn't force herself to look away, the intensity of his gaze holding her in place. She kept wondering where she had seen him before, why it was that he seemed so familiar. Klaus' eyes flickered to her lips and the next moment, he made a move as if he intended to lean towards her.
He's a father of your students, for god's sake, Caroline. You barely know him.
The thought crossing her mind was like a bucket of cold water and in an instant, she stepped back, the moment broken. Clearing her throat, she lowered her gaze to the ground for a second before she continued with the conversation. "Like I said over the phone, it's nothing major, just a few childish tricks so far but it shouldn't be ignored," Caroline explained, cringing internally at her hoarse voice.
As Klaus nodded, she delved deeper into the subject matter, listing the more resourceful pranks the twins had been practicing in class. To be honest, he couldn't help but feel a bit impressed at the craft and intelligence behind some of them. It made him recall his own childhood and the practical jokes he and Kol would play on Rebekah. Involuntarily, he let out a low chortle at all the memories of his sister running after them and dubbing them "bloody wankers" or worse.
"It's not funny, you know," she chided him, pursing her delectable lips.
"I know, I know," he kept chuckling nonetheless.
Caroline rolled her eyes, a glint of mirth gleaming in them for a fleeting moment, "Then stop laughing."
Composing himself, he held back another fit of laughter and asked, "What would you have me do, then, love? About the twins?"
"Well...it could be nothing but from my experience, behaviour like this manifests as a sign that children want more of our attention. Or perhaps there is something happening in your family that's disturbing them and this is them acting out," she suggested delicately.
"Their mother's getting married," Klaus grumbled. "But they are thrilled about it. Already training a walk down the aisle to be perfect little bridesmaids," he finished, smiling at the image.
Biting her lower lip, which immediately drew his attention to the perfect-shaped mouth, Caroline pondered his words before her reply. "Still...this is a change that could bring on this kind of behaviour. Even if the girls seem enthusiastic at first sight. What I would suggest is spending more time with them, maybe…"
Klaus interjected immediately, "Love, if you're insinuating that I'm not spending enough time with my children, then you're sorely mistaken."
"What? No, of course not! I've read your file, I know you work from home and are a main caretaker. I was merely going to suggest spending more time together actively. Like participating in a project, perhaps? Our school is actually in the midst of preparing a local fair, the money we'll raise is going to fill the funds of public schools nearby. A lot of parents take part along with their children but we still need more entertainers for the main event. Perhaps you, Phoebe and Rachel could try?" she fluttered her lashes at him, feigning innocence.
"I...I really don't know, love," he stuttered, getting unusually flustered under her deliberate stare.
There was a slight commotion outside and then the twins' excited squeals could be heard from behind the door, "Yay, the fair! Please, Ms. Forbes, we want to sing and Daddy could play the guitar for us! Please!"
Laughing, Caroline mused, "It seems our conversation wasn't so private after all." She ambled to open the class and let the girls in, since it appeared they had been listening in on them anyway. Suddenly, something clicked in her mind and she narrowed her eyes, peering at him. "Wait! I knew you seemed familiar! Klaus Mikaelson, of course! You were supposed to be like the next Ed Sheeran! I was sure I recognized that voice from somewhere!"
"Familiar with my work ,sweetheart? You do have an excellent music taste then," he smirked. The truth was, he indeed felt flattered. After the twins had been born and Aurora's modelling job had taken off, his own music career took a backseat after the release and a mild success of his debut album. He still wrote songs and played in one of the most popular pubs in New Orleans but for now, his main focus was on Rachel and Phoebe.
Perhaps one day.
"Don't flatter yourself," she scoffed right before two balls of sunshine flew into the room, flinging themselves straight onto Klaus.
"Daddy, will you play for us?" Rachel pleaded, her pale blue eyes peeking at him from under her lashes.
"Yes, please, it will be so much fun! You'll see Daddy!" Phoebe pitched in, wearing the exact same look.
The look that had been long ago patented by his dear sister Rebekah.
One he had never been able to say no to.
Letting out a deep sigh, Klaus nodded, "Yes, I will play guitar for you, sweethearts."
High-pitched squeals filled the classroom as the girls started jumping around in joy, hugging each other as well as their father. Caroline smiled widely upon the sight, the happiness evident on their faces reinforcing her belief that she had made the right decision in calling Klaus in.
With little smirk curling her lips, so very similar to her dad's, Rachel leapt to Caroline and circled her arms around her teacher's legs. "But Ms. Forbes, you must sing with us! Please? You have an angel's voice," little girl lifted her eyes pleadingly.
"Yes, Ms. Forbes, it won't be so scary to sing with you! Please…" Phoebe chimed in, never failing to support her sister.
Looking at those two adorable angels, Caroline knew she'd lost that battle even before it began. She glanced at Klaus, who was observing her with this irritating knowing smirk.
"What do you say, love? Up for joining our fantastic trio?"
And join them, she did. Permanently.
Rehearsals for the school fair turned into heated discussions and long conversations.
About their lives, their dreams, hopes for the future.
He kissed her for the first time during that fair. She was so anxious before their performance, rambling nervously (in that way of hers he would always find utterly adorable) and he couldn't help but mold his mouth over her delicious lips, the kiss taking their breath (and some of the nerves) away.
The kiss turned into a date and then another one and another after that.
Soon, she was not only dating him but also the twins and his intrusive siblings.
And she didn't mind at all. None of them did.
Because they were family.
Years later, at Klaus and Caroline's 10th anniversary dinner, Rachel and Phoebe didn't hesitate to tell the tale of how they got their dad and "Ms. Forbes" together by orchestrating their little scheme of unbearable school pranks.
Looking at her husband and the loving way he gazed at her, their 4-year old son seated at his lap, Caroline couldn't feel anything but gratitude.
It was a prank of a lifetime.
Once more, Rachel, thank you so much for donating to this cause and I hope this met your expectations :)
Please leave a comment and let me know what you thought, guys! Thank you for reading :)
