Notes: For the klarolineauweek Bonus Day!
Of Two Kinds – Part Two
(The second part of The Walking Dead inspired drabble. First part found in the second half of chapter 16. Smut)
Caroline glares at him, gritting her teeth at the sight of Klaus on the couch, his posture relaxed. She's never invited him inside, not that it was necessary. The need for invitations had faded, vampires able to enter homes freely. Caroline hopes it's because the houses have been abandoned, not because the owners are all dead. Her mom and Bonnie remain wary of The Originals, and strictly anti-Klaus, which is why he's never been over. But Klaus, of course, isn't the kind of guy to let a little thing like that stop him from making himself comfortable.
She toes off her boots, careful to keep them on the plastic tray by the door, because she doesn't want to track bits of rotting flesh onto the carpet. She debates ignoring Klaus, walking past him and making a beeline for the shower, but Caroline doesn't trust him not to follow her. And she has such a hard time remembering why she's mad at him, when they're both naked.
She addresses him, not bothering to mask her aggravation, "If my mom finds you here, she will shoot you, you know."
Klaus appears unconcerned, "Wouldn't be the first time I've been shot."
"As unsurprising as that is, I don't really want to clean up the mess. And getting shot in the head hurts like a bitch." Experiencing that once was more than enough for Caroline, and she wouldn't wish it on Klaus, even if he is a pain in her ass.
His head tips to the side, a hint of anger tightening his features, "And just how would you know that, love?"
"Don't worry about it. It was a long time ago."
"You will tell me that story, someday," Klaus says, sounding sure. "But, you needn't worry about your mother shooting me. She's having lunch with that military chap who wandered in a few weeks ago. He's quite smitten, I think. And Bonnie's set to meet up with Davina this afternoon, to work on some magic matter they're playing around with. We have the run of the house."
Caroline narrows her eyes, finding those circumstances a little too convenient to be natural. "Did you compel my mom a date?"
Klaus adopts an innocent expression, "I believe you underestimate your mother's charms."
"First of all, gross. Second," Caroline's voice rises, preparing to rip into him.
Klaus cuts her off, "No compulsion was used, I promise. But a little gentle encouragement, when I overheard him asking about your mother's marital status, might have been doled out."
Caroline studies him, for a few seconds, before she decides that she believes him. "Alright fine. I'm going to have to have a talk with him, I guess."
Because if anyone thought they could mess with her mother, Caroline would quickly set them straight.
"Mmm. I almost pity the man."
Caroline smiles at that, because she's always appreciated Klaus' easy confidence in her abilities, even if she was sometimes amazed by it. But she catches herself, remembering that she's pissed off, turning away to hide her face and shrugging off her sweater. She makes a note to bring it over to Mrs. Miller to see if it can be saved.
She's learned not to waste things.
Caroline realizes baring her shoulder is a mistake, only it's too late. She sucks in a breath, suddenly feeling Klaus behind her, one hand on her upper arm, the other on her neck, keeping her in place.
"What happened?" he demands, leaning in to examine where she's been bitten.
She tries to shake him off, but his hands remain firm. Caroline curses her carelessness. "I screwed up, lost my weapon. One of them bit me, but I'll be fine."
Klaus lets out a low, angry noise, "I knew I should have brought the daggers from New Orleans."
"It wasn't Kol's fault. It was mine," Caroline tells him angrily. "Dial down to chest beating, alpha male crap, alright?"
"You need blood," Klaus says, easily brushing aside the rest of her statement.
"I need a shower," Caroline counters, annoyed. Because she feels disgusting, and the ache in her shoulder is nowhere near the worst pain she's ever felt.
Klaus leans into her, so the length of his front is pressed against her back, brushes his mouth over the nape of her neck, "Whoever said you couldn't have both?" he murmurs suggestively.
Caroline grits her teeth. Because it's tempting, to relax into him and luxuriate in his strength for a little while. To drag him upstairs, to pull off their clothes and let him touch her under the hot spray of the water, to sink her fangs into his skin and drink from him.
Klaus tastes so much better than anything that comes out of a plastic bag, and she's never come harder than she does with his blood on her tongue.
But giving in will only make him think that he's won, and Caroline refuses to allow that.
They're going to widen their perimeter, and they're going to double their population, whether he likes it or not.
The Originals have had a tough time, with some aspects of the new world. Humans, so abundant before, their lives seemingly insignificant and disposable, were now in short supply. They'd not often dealt with them as equals. Having to work, side by side, with a species he considered lesser was an adjustment, for Klaus. Caroline suspects that, had things been different, and had she and her friends not been around, he and his siblings would have set up a far more sinister system, used compulsion more liberally, and not put nearly the effort into morale that Caroline tried to.
Adding more humans was not an idea Klaus' liked, and his paranoia – that a witch or a werewolf or an enemy could slip in – had led to him attempting to outright reject Caroline's proposal, without even a discussion.
And she hadn't taken that well.
Caroline pulls away from him roughly, and his hands fall from her body, "No, Klaus. I'm going to shower. Alone. If you want to stick around we can fight after. I'm sure it'll be super fun."
Caroline doesn't look back at him, as she mounts the stairs, not even to acknowledge him, or his innuendo laden tone, when he calls, "I look forward to continuing our chat, Caroline."
She takes her time, after her shower, combing out her hair, applying lotion (the Bath and Body Works in the nearest mall had been almost entirely passed over by looters. Their loss, Her gain).
Caroline's procrastinating, psyching herself up, for dealing with Klaus.
Caroline kind of wants to curse herself, for ever beginning to screw around with him, but she really doesn't regret it. There'd always been very clear lines between them, back when she'd been in high school, and he'd been terrorizing her friends. It's sometimes hard for Caroline to adjust to the idea that they're on the same side. Adding sex to the equation muddies the waters even more.
The thing they have is undefined, and she knows that it's all because of her. People know, that they're having sex, because it would be impossible not to, given the tiny community they inhabit.
Certain friends of Caroline's only barely manage to keep their judginess to themselves, and only because they're under the impression that it's just a physical thing, just Caroline having hot hybrid sex, in order to avoid going crazy under the weight of her responsibilities and being overwhelmed with uncertainties.
They accept it, grudgingly, because no one wants to deal with an unhinged Caroline Forbes.
Caroline keeps a careful distance, between her and Klaus, in public. She allows herself no affectionate gestures, no secret smiles or tender looks.
It's become harder and harder, as time has passed. And as their private moments have shifted and deepened.
It really had been just sex, in the beginning, of the fast and rough variety. The first time it had happened they'd been on patrol, bickering. Caroline doesn't even remember what about. She'd thrown up her hands, and stormed away, spitting profanities. He'd followed her, goading her.
And the next thing Caroline knew she'd snapped, shoved him into a narrow gap between two unused houses, and pressed her mouth over his, determined to get him to just stop talking.
It had worked, for several hot minutes, his lips parting under her onslaught. He'd moaned when she'd used her teeth, let Caroline tear his belt away and work her hand around his cock, running his hands over her body.
And when she'd pulled back, to watch his face twist in pleasure at her touch, he must have read something on her face. Maybe he saw some of the triumph Caroline had felt at having him writhing in her hands, because his expression had hardened, and he'd reversed their positions. And then he'd turned her, so quickly she'd barely had time to bring her hands up to catch herself on the rough brick.
Klaus' hand was in her jeans, his fingers buried inside of her, and his palm grinding against her clit, before she could take another breath.
She'd had to lean against the wall for support, her knees shaking, as he stroked her, fast and rough hitting spots inside of her that made shudder.
He'd started to talk then, voice gravelly in her ear. And Caroline had forgotten why she hadn't wanted him to. He'd spun filthy fantasies for her, spoke of how much he wanted her, how good she felt, hot and soaking around his fingers, how he couldn't wait to feel her wrapped around his cock.
She'd bitten down on the back of her forearm, to prevent from crying out. Bitten harder, breaking the skin, when he'd shoved her jeans down, tilted her hips, and thrust inside of her.
He'd pulled her head back, his hand on her throat a demand that she turn her head, and he'd licked her blood off of her mouth, before he'd set a harsh pace that had Caroline quivering and fighting not to beg for more.
That's how it had started.
They'd had a few other trysts, frantic and semi-public, in the following days, before he'd managed to coax her indoors. They'd tried out several surfaces in the house Klaus had taken possession of, and each time Caroline had righted her clothes and left, before her heart rate had even slowed back to a normal rhythm.
And then they'd finally made it to a bed, and Klaus had insisted on removing every stich of her clothing and had seemed to make it his mission to make leaving very, very difficult for her.
Caroline only snaps out of the memories, when she hears him downstairs, moving about. He's getting impatient, Caroline knows, because he's capable of being perfectly silent, and is only loud when he requires attention.
Her little walk down memory lane has left her nipples hard and her core uncomfortably damp. Awkward, since she knows there's no way Klaus won't notice.
Caroline braids her hair, pulls on a thick sweatshirt, before slowly making her way downstairs.
Klaus has produced a bottle of wine, from where Caroline has no idea, and he sits at the dining room table, one ankle resting on the opposite knee, chair tipped slightly backwards.
His eyebrows lift, his eyes raking down her body, "You smell incredible, love. Penny for your thoughts?"
"Like you have a penny," she retorts, taking the chair opposite him, careful not to touch him.
His jaw clenches, irritation chasing away the heat that had entered his gaze.
Klaus resents the careful distance, the boundaries she sets. He becomes more biting, when she pushes him away, his temper, never exactly even, flares hotter and more unexpectedly.
And his lack of patience with the limits she imposes has only grown.
It's not just fucking, what they do, and Caroline knows it, even if she refuses to acknowledge it.
She's long since stopped resisting the urge to stay with him, after they're both sated. Has spent more nights in his bed than in hers lately. She talks to him, under the cover of darkness, picks his brain when there are things she needs to work out. Draws comfort from his certainty that this is not the end of the world, just a hiccup, like others that had happened before.
But explaining that to her mother, to Elena, is something that Caroline has no idea how to tackle. So she just doesn't try. She suspects it hurts him, more than he'd ever let himself admit.
He pushes a wineglass towards her. Caroline accepts it, taking a sip, gets right to the point, "Getting me drunk isn't going to get me to change my mind, Klaus. We need to let more people in."
"We're perfectly fine," he argues, "with what we have now. Between those who already live here, and the blood we take from the unsavory characters floating around. There's no need to open ourselves up to risks."
"The 'unsavoury characters'" Caroline counters, repeating his words mockingly, "are fewer and farther between. And some people have expressed interest in being turned. Once that happens we have less blood and more need for it."
"Simple solution. Merely forbid them from being turned."
She shakes her head immediately, "No. Why would I do that? People should get a choice, Klaus. And more vampires makes us stronger, as a group."
He narrows his eyes, leaning back, "And what if another vampire slips in? A witch? We've survived, thanks to our enhanced abilities. It's only logical that others have as well."
"So? What are they going to do? I don't understand why you care, Klaus. You're unkillable, remember?"
"You cannot be this oblivious, Caroline," Klaus leans forward, frustration bleeding into his tone.
"Excuse me?" she asks, setting her wine down, barely noticing that it sloshes out with her force. "That sounded an awful lot like you were calling me stupid, Klaus."
"I most certainly did not. I'm not about to apologize for telling you the truth. You're so afraid of what you're little friends will think of you, so convinced that I'm the monster they say I am, that it doesn't even occur to you that I care because you can be killed. Far more easily than I'd like. You're injured right now, love."
"It's nothing, Klaus. I was a little careless."
Klaus hand slaps down on the table, and it shifts several inches, "A little careless can get you killed. And then what do you think I would do, Caroline?"
Her next words are flippant, "Well, I'd be dead, so I don't think I'd have much say, would I?" Caroline drains the rest of her wine in one gulp, holding Klaus' eyes.
They darken, yellow bleeding into the edges. Klaus next words are deceptively soft, sharp edged in a way that tells her to tread carefully, "That's not something you joke about, sweetheart. Not with me."
"What are you going to do, Klaus?" Caroline taunts, standing and leaning forward. "How are you going to control me? I'm not on vervain. Do you want to compel me? Are you going to threaten my mother? Bite me again? Let suffer while I think about what I've done?"
She's yelling, at the end, angry and frustrated. Caroline really hopes her neighbours aren't around.
He smiles, shakes his head, remains seated, his temper fading in the face of hers, "You'd like that, wouldn't you? Like it if I confirmed all the reasons you're scared to tell your little friends about me and the things I make you feel."
Caroline's hands curl around the edge of the table, so hard she's surprised it doesn't splinter.
"I don't…"
He cuts of the denial she's not even sure she would have managed to make, "Don't bother lying to me, love. I rather think you do enough of that, don't you?"
It's just like the first time, then. Something in Caroline's brain short circuits, logic and reason and control beyond her grasp as she lunges for him, coming around the table and straddling him in his chair. He doesn't allow her the upper hand this time, not for a moment. He stands, grabbing her hips and setting her down on the table, pinning her hands behind her.
Klaus pauses, squeezes her wrists firmly, once, "Keep them there," he tells her darkly.
He waits, until she nods, then pulls the elastic out of her braid, running his hands through her hair. Caroline leans back, pressing her weight onto her palms, trying to resist grabbing at him.
He rests his hands on her knees, and Caroline parts her thighs, before he even applies a hint of pressure, her earlier arousal ramped back up, by the way he's watching her, by the promise in his eyes when he'd issued his order.
His lips part, his tongue running along the lower. "So wonderfully eager for me, Caroline. Are you wet, already? Will my fingers slip inside of you easily?"
She pushes herself forward, until she's right at the edge of the table, "Feel free to find out."
A sly grin crosses Klaus' face, and then he's pulling down her leggings, hooking his fingers into her panties so they come down too.
He bends and kisses her thigh, scrapes his teeth along the delicate skin. The sting sends another jolt of heat through her, her hips shifting restlessly.
Klaus stands, and Caroline bites the inside of her cheek, to stop herself from complaining, "Shirt off," he demands next.
"Thought I wasn't supposed to move my hands?" Caroline retorts, but she moves to pull it off anyway.
"Changed my mind," Klaus replies, his eyes on her bare torso. "I decided that you could put them to better use. I want you to touch your breasts for me."
Caroline shivers, moves to clench her thighs together, but Klaus makes a soft, chiding noise, his hands on her knees, stroking the backs, and holding them apart. "No, Caroline. Put your hands on your nipples. Pinch them. I want them swollen and aching and I want to watch you drip onto this table."
Her stomach clenches, at the dirty words, and her head drops back, and she moans, even as her hands smooth up her ribcage, cupping her breasts. Caroline watches Klaus as he watches her. She likes the clench of his jaw, likes the way his fingers bite into her skin, the way the veins in her forearms stand out. He's not nearly as in control as he wants to believe he is, and she wants him to let go.
He drops his head, presses his mouth to her neck. Caroline tilts her head to the side, giving him more room. He pulls another moan from her, when he sucks hard at the juncture where her neck meets her shoulder. "Bite me," she pleads, without meaning to do so, her fingers moving faster, rolling her nipples in search of some relief.
She thinks he'll deny her, sure that he's got a larger plan here. So it's a shock, when his fangs dig in, when his hand slides up her thigh, finding her clit and rubbing hard.
Caroline gasps, his name spilling out of her mouth. She can move her leg now, and she wraps it around his hip, her toes digging into the back of his thigh, urging him closer. He sinks two fingers inside of her and she arches her back, desperate for friction. But Klaus stills, and stops drinking, removing any pressure on her clit, his hand unmoving inside of her.
Caroline whimpers, high pitched and desperate, clenching around him. "I want you to admit it," he tells her, low and forceful, fangs out and eyes blazing gold. "Just to me, for now. Admit that you want me, and you can come all over my hand. And then you're going to lie back on this table and you'll come on my tongue. Then I'm going to take you upstairs."
"Klaus," Caroline pants, her mind reeling, her body screaming at her to just say the words. "You can't just…"
He leans in, brushing his mouth over hers, unexpectedly tender, "Just to me," he repeats softly.
He's not sure she'll do it, Caroline thinks. He looks almost uncertain, looking into her eyes, searching for something. He's braced for her to reject him, to push him away and leave. That's the thing that makes Caroline give in, to her body's demands. It's a small admission, what he's asking of her. And she does want him.
Caroline takes a deep breath, barely recognizes the hoarse scratch of her voice, "I want you," she manages. "Make me come."
His fingers scissor inside of her, stretching her muscles in a way that makes her groan, and his thumb circles her clit, swiping over it at random intervals that leave her thighs tensed in anticipation of the sweet sparks of pleasure the direct contact sends shooting through her. He lets her move, lets her push against his fingers, and the climb is quick and incredible, every muscle in her body striving for a release.
He pulls her head to his throat, his issues on last demand, "Drink when you come for me, Caroline."
It's one she's happy to obey, tearing through his skin with a moan.
She clings to him, as she rides the waves of her orgasm, taking greedy sips of his blood. And then as soon as she releases him, he's dropping to his knees, his voice low and guttural as he tells her to lie back.
He keeps his promise to her, as she'd known he would.
And when he flashes them to her room, her hands are shaky and forceful, tearing his clothes from his body, wanting him inside of her, her need for him not satisfied, despite the two orgasms he'd already pulled from her.
She says his name, like it's the only thing she knows, as he works his cock inside of her, as he plays with her nipples and tells her she's beautiful and incredible, and that he wants her.
And afterwards, when she's catching her breath, draped across him, when he murmurs something about how he should go, before her mom gets home Caroline shakes her head, presses him down. Tells him she'll lock the door if they hear someone come in.
His eyes widen, and he smiles softly, before he relaxes underneath her, his hand coming up to trace patterns down her spine.
It's not a declaration and Caroline thinks it will be awhile before she's ready for anything like that.
But one day she will be.
Oh How Strange – Part Two
(The continuing adventures of Caroline and werewolfpuppy!Klaus. Part One is the third drabble in chapter 11. Rated K+.)
Caroline decided to send Enzo home - he was a fly by the seat of his pants kind of guy and he'd just get in the way of her serious plotting. He hadn't wanted to leave, but Caroline had insisted, physically yanking him out of the dining room chair and waving Klaus away when he tried to follow, "Klaus, stay."
That earned her a growl, and she threw him an apologetic look. "Yeah, that was rude. Sorry."
Caroline hauled Enzo towards the door, despite his reluctance, "Seriously, Enzo," Caroline assured him, "plausible deniability is a good thing here. Take my word for it. Rebekah Mikaelson? Heinous, sadistic bitch. Her only redeeming quality is her killer taste in shoes."
"That's not very nice, Caroline."
"She's 1000 years old. I'm pretty sure she invented some of the torture techniques those Augustine weirdos used on you. Probably perfected them on the guy who refused to kiss her ring, or whatever. And The Original's never throw anything out. I don't even want to know what kind of creepy implements of pain and misery they have lying around"
If anything, that seemed to intrigue Enzo even more. Which was super gross, and not something Caroline wanted to think about.
"She sounds delightful, truly."
"I swear to god, Enzo," Caroline says, shooting him a hard look, "if Rebekah has long distance hypnotized you into doing her bidding I will kill you before she can."
"Nonsense, Gorgeous," Enzo replies, looking at her like she'd said something ridiculous. "You know I'm always on your side."
Caroline paused in front of her door, nodding in agreement and appreciation, "'Cause my side's the right side, duh."
Enzo chuckled. He wrapped an arm around her shoulders affectionately, "Right, you'll call me if you need anything? Dog sitter, road trip buddy, help with body disposal?"
Caroline mustered a smile, "Will do. Just… don't say anything to anyone, okay? Especially not to Damon. You weren't around, but he was concocting terrible 'Let's Kill Klaus!' plans. For a solid two years. I don't trust him not to jump on this, and I really don't want to be the one to explain to Elena that her boyfriend got himself brutally murdered for being an idiot, you know?"
"Oh, well if it's for Elena," Enzo drawled sarcastically.
Caroline rolled her eyes, unwilling to defend Elena for the umpteenth time. It was pointless, as Enzo's opinion was set, and privately she could admit that he wasn't exactly wrong, about some of her friend's less than stellar qualities. He didn't have the lifetime of memories, to color his perspective, that Caroline did. "And for me," she reminded him.
He softened slightly, giving her a nod, before leaving. Caroline breathed a sigh of relief. That was as good as a promise, from Enzo. And she trusted him not to break it.
Klaus, pacing along the edge of her table, probably didn't share her faith.
Which was just too damn bad. Because Caroline was pretty sure that, as the only member of the team currently in possession of opposable thumbs, she was automatically the captain.
She leaned back against the closed door, considering her next move. Klaus eyed her, his agitation evident in his bared teeth and the way his gaze never left her, even as he continued his restless movements.
Caroline totally got that Klaus was a control freak, to an insane degree, and that this situation must be incredibly difficult for him. Just the thought of being in his shoes made her shudder, and she wasn't even a fraction as paranoid. Not to mention, Klaus kind of loved to throw around the "I'm the Big Bad Hybrid, Fear Me!" card and that wasn't exactly an option, at the moment.
Because he was tiny and fluffy and adorable and not the least bit intimidating. That had to be humiliating.
He'd trusted her, with this. Trusted that she'd be willing to help him. It was kind of a huge deal.
Caroline was almost afraid to consider the implications of that. To think about what it said about the way he felt about her, even after she'd asked for time and distance.
Klaus was clearly growing impatient with her silence, her lack of action, and he let out a sharp bark. Caroline pushed off the door, shushing him, "I'm pretty sure I'm not supposed to have pets so if you could not do that I would appreciate it."
He growls softly and Caroline rolls her eyes, "Yes, I know. You're not a pet. But I can't exactly say, 'Hey, here's my old friend Klaus! He's usually taller, and a little more man shaped, so don't kick me out because I'm totally not actually breaking my lease agreement' without freaking people out. I do not want to be known as the crazy lady in 4B."
Klaus had settled down, at some point during her ramble, stretching his body out and resting his head on his paws. Caroline sat down once more, setting the notepad in front of her, and picking up her pen. She tapped it on the table a few times, biting her lip and trying to think of a way to phrase her next question delicately. But then she decided that there really wasn't a way to do so, and wasn't it a good thing that Klaus had always found her bluntness more charming than irritating?
"So…" Caroline draws out the word, and Klaus head tips to the side, so she rushes out the rest, "just to clarify. You're totally, you know, you, in there? I don't have to worry about you peeing on the carpet or eating my shoes?"
Caroline's pretty sure from the way his head lifts, and how he manages to look almost mortally offended, that he's 100% Klaus under the fur. She holds up her hands, a placating gesture, "Just checking, geez."
He still looks miffed, which is pretty impressive, in Caroline's opinion. She sighs, decides to try to smooth things over. "Okay. So despite the fact that talking to you like this is really, really creepy and awkward, I recognize that you have way more experience with this whole tracking down your enemies thing. So I might as well make use of your brain. Since you claim it's in working order."
He perks up, hopping to his feet, tail wagging slightly.
It's a struggle not to react, because it's freaking adorable and she kind of wants to snuggle him. But she suspects that Klaus would not be cool with that.
Or he would and it would be weird. He's been surprisingly into post coital cuddling, even though they'd done it on the forest floor.
But that thought is not even the tiniest bit helpful, right now.
Caroline rips a piece of paper out of her notebook, writes out 'YES' and 'NO' in large print, darkening the letters, and then spacing the pages a foot or so apart on the table. Can he read like this? Caroline's not sure, and she doesn't want to ask him, given his previous reaction. So she just taps them pointedly as she speaks, "I'm going to ask you questions. Touch this one for yes, and this one for no, and let's start to work this mess out, okay?"
He moves to the one she'd indicated for 'Yes' setting his two front paws on the paper and looking up at her expectantly.
Caroline cracks a smile, shakes her head, picks up her pen again, trying to think decide the best place to start.
And maybe it's a struggle, to focus on the situation at hand. Usually, she prides herself on her ability to focus during a crisis, to compartmentalize, and do what she needs to. But now, her mind keeps wandering. Because while this is a situation that needs a solution, and she is determined that she'll find it, it's (for once) not life or death.
Klaus is here, but he's not. And Caroline finds it hard to ignore the not so small part of her that really, really misses the sound of his voice.
She and Klaus have managed to work out a rough plan for the next three days (Day One: supplies and logistics, Day Two: travel, Day Three: tracking a witch) when there's a groan from behind Caroline on the couch.
Right. She'd totally forgotten about her guest. Klaus is looking past her, but he doesn't seem agitated, so Caroline relaxes. He obviously doesn't consider the younger vampire a threat, so she spins in her chair, pasting on what she hopes is a welcoming smile, "Hi. Josh, right? I'm Caroline. Sorry about the neck snapping. Did you want a blood bag?"
He rises from the couch, stretching out his arms. He opens his mouth to reply, but his eyes drift past her and he immediately snaps it shut. "Uh, no. I'm good."
Caroline turns her head to look at Klaus suspiciously. It seems impossible to her, that he's capable of intimidating anyone right now, but she swears it's him that's making Josh uneasy.
"Are you sure? It's no trouble. And I feel kind of bad that you ended up temporarily dead, when you were only doing Klaus a favor. My friend Enzo's not really a big fan of strangers."
Josh's eyes widen at the word favor, an incredulous look crossing his face.
Caroline glances at Klaus again, putting the pieces together, "Not a favor? Come on. I thought the whole hybrid debacle would have been a wakeup call, about how the care and feeding of your minions. I guess not."
"Not a big fan of the word minion," Josh mutters.
"Who's Rebekah holding hostage?" Caroline asks knowingly.
"No one," Josh denies, "I'm only here under threats of my own excruciatingly death. One hybrid bite is more than enough for me."
Caroline can relate to that feeling. "Ugh, tell me about it. I've had two."
Klaus nudges her elbow with his nose, and Caroline stiffens, moving her arm away.
Scratch missing the sound of his voice. Because she's pretty sure he wouldn't have been able to resist pointing out that she had, in fact, been bitten more than twice.
She'd voluntarily had his teeth in her thigh, and in her throat, that day in the woods. And excruciating death had been the last thing one her mind.
And Klaus knew it, too.
Caroline gets up, going into the kitchen and pulling two blood bags out of her crisper. She tosses one at Josh. He catches it neatly, once again looking uncertainly at Klaus.
"Ignore him," Caroline instructs. "He's been told that if he bites anyone on my watch my willingness to help him will become nonexistent. You're safe."
Josh hesitates, for another few seconds, before he opens the bag and takes a sip. "Thank you," he says politely, once nearly half of it is gone.
"You're welcome. Can I ask how you're getting home?"
He'd driven here, she knows. And according to Rebekah, the vehicle he'd driven from New Orleans is now at her disposal. And Caroline's almost certain that, after forcing the poor guy to do their bidding, neither Rebekah nor Klaus would have spared a thought for his safe return home.
A long suffering expression crosses Josh' face, telling her that she's correct in her assumptions. "I think I'm going to need directions to the nearest bus station."
Caroline throws Klaus an unimpressed look, "No need. I'll drive you to the airport. Klaus will pay for your ticket. First class."
If Klaus could roll his eyes at her, he totally would. But he's the one who gave her free rein with his credit card, so really it's his own fault.
It's nearly midnight, when they get home from the airport, and Caroline sets the tote bag she'd used as a makeshift carrier for Klaus down. He had not been happy, when she'd produced it, snarling and going rigid when she'd tried to put him into it. But Caroline really didn't want to get kicked out of her apartment. She'd offered to let Klaus stay behind, but he'd refused, and had sat between her and Josh in the front seat of his SUV.
She's not entirely sure why, because through her conversation with the guy she'd gathered that Josh was a younger vampire than she was, and didn't seem to have a single speck of ruthlessness in him. Plus, he'd been pretty cute, talking about his boyfriend, so Klaus couldn't be jealous.
Caroline wishes he could just tell her what he's thinking and she's back to missing his voice.
Klaus wriggles out of the tote bag, but he doesn't go far. He lets out a yawn and lies down on it, struggling to keep his eyes open.
Caroline debates just letting him sleep there, because he looks comfortable enough. But her feet are glued to the floor, refusing to let her walk away.
"You are such a sucker, Caroline Forbes," she mutters to herself, before she bends and scoops Klaus up. He presses his nose to her neck, letting out a soft, tired, noise. Entering her room, she sets him on her bed. She takes a step back, pointing down at him, "Do not get any ideas. This is just for a minute. You're totally sleeping on the floor."
His tail beats against the mattress half-heartedly for a moment, and Caroline takes that as his agreement to her terms.
Which turns out to be a mistake.
The next morning Caroline wakes up with his small form curled into her side, despite the nest of blankets and cushions she'd painstakingly set up for him to sleep in.
His eyes crack open when she moves, the blue of them wary, like he expects to be scolded. But Caroline's still tired, and if there's one thing she's learned, in her dealings with Klaus, it's to pick her battles.
And it's probably less dangerous, to have him in her bed now, than to have him there when he's himself, isn't it?
So she rolls over, buries herself under her quilt, feels him settle down next to her. The absurdity of the situation, hits her again, all at once, and she starts to laugh, trying to muffle the sounds in her pillow. But he must feel it, because he picks his way around her, his slight weight barely shaking the mattress. He nudges her with his head, until she looks at him, sitting down next to her pillow. "I'm sorry. It's just, bet this is the last way you imagined getting into my bed, huh?"
Klaus does not appear to share her amusement. Caroline's pretty sure she's never seen an animal's face look quite so disgusted.
And she might be a terrible person, but it only makes her laugh harder.