Notes: Writing has been a struggle lately. I asked for prompts and people kindly delivered. So have an odd hodge podge of drabbles!

A Certain Type of Man

(Prompt: a klaus/caroline/loki love triangle for your mini drabble thing-y? please please please i'll literally do anything i'm thirsty for this. Rated T.)

Klaus almost doesn't answer his phone.

He hesitates, staring at the screen. An unknown number rarely means good things and it's not as though he's free with his information. If he was easy to get a hold of every upstart witch or bitter vampire with a grudge would think that he cared about whatever petty grudge they had and the doubtlessly shoddy plotting they were doing. He'd be subject to taunting calls and endless boredom listening to them drone on.

It gets tedious witnessing so many utter failures.

However, he's just landed in Amsterdam. Has sent a compelled human to stow his things in his hotel while he wandered on foot in search of entertainment. Why not see what this phone call has to offer? It's been ringing for ages and it's not as if he has anything better to do at the moment.

He lets the call connect. Drawls out a bored, "Hello?"

Immediately hears a rush of air, a relieved sigh spilling across the line, and a woman's voice. One he has no trouble placing, "Oh, thank god. I had no idea if your number was still the same and no idea how to track you down if it was different."

Klaus' footsteps slow in his surprise and he throws a harsh glare at the man who nearly plows into him. He does his best to keep his reply pleasantly neutral even though this call is the most intriguing thing to happen in a good while, "Caroline. A pleasure. How long has it been?"

He has no trouble imagining the rolling of her eyes, the impatient set of her brows. She's agitated and Klaus will need to find out why. "Cut the crap, Klaus," she snaps. "You know exactly how long it's been."

He does.

Caroline had stopped by New Orleans twelve years ago fresh off a tour of Europe, bright eyed and bursting with stories and questions. They'd had dinner, many many drinks. Watching her speak, gesticulate wildly and laugh without any hesitance remains a favorite memory of Klaus'. Tales of her travels had even sparked a little something in him – an itch to move that he'd not bothered to stifle once she'd gone. He'd done his very best to coax her into a longer stay, and though her eyes had lingered on his mouth and her body had swayed closer to his than strictly appropriate Caroline had refused to be tempted.

Still so very stubborn, her will an iron thing. And though he'd always found it part of her charm Klaus had been pleased to see a softening, however slight it had been. Once upon a time she'd not have dawdled at a table with him, would have taken off the instant she felt she could. He'd taken it as a victory at the time. An indication that one day he'd be successful, he only had to wait.

They'd watched the sunrise together but she'd left long before the Louisiana heat could become oppressive. With a hug and a promise to see Klaus around. Caroline had been headed back to Mystic Falls for a short visit - to pay her respects to her parents and drop in on the Bennett witch. Her plan had been to head to South America afterwards and Klaus heard reports from various contacts that she'd spent a number of years on that continent before leaving again. Whispers of her whereabouts had been few and far between ever since.

He's resisted pressing deeper, launching any kind of search. It would set him back, he knew. He wonders if he should have gone with his instincts.

Klaus realizes that he's taken too long to respond. Caroline's breaths are anxious, harsh and too fast. He can hear her moving about, shuffles and the odd thumps. He begins walking again, more alert. He has no idea why she'd be nervous, he's always made it clear that he welcomes hearing from her, unless something was amiss. "It's been longer than I'd like, I must admit. Where are you, love?"

She makes no attempts to brush off the question, "New York, but I'm leaving. Like, right now."

Klaus' eyes narrow at her urgency, "Are you in trouble, Caroline?"

Her motions still and her answer comes out resigned, "I'm so sorry, Klaus."

"Whatever for?"

"This. I really hate that I'm calling you for a favor but I have no better option. A complete lack of options, actually. I am in way over my head."

"What happened?" Klaus clips out. They'll deal with the apologies later once he's assured her safety. Distantly, he's pleased that she'd thought to make one.

She hesitates, her reply coming out soft and unsure. "Well, it all started when I met this guy…"

He grits his teeth, forces himself not to shatter the phone in his hand. Not what he'd wanted to hear. "And…" Klaus prods.

"And in the beginning it was great," Caroline explains in a rush. "He was charming, educated, and witty. Had fabulous taste in restaurants and could really wear a suit. Even had an accent."

The other man's virtues were not among the list of things cared to know. He pushes past the searing flash of jealousy, the twitching of his fingers that urges violence. "Sounds like quite the catch."

She must hear his ire, as badly disguised as it was. Caroline makes no comment. "On paper, yep. Total dreamboat. But things got weird. He got a little possessive. And that can be hot in private but I am so not into my boyfriend popping up and screwing with my coworkers, you know? I managed to ask some questions, found out he was chock full of issues."

"Issues?" Klaus questions.

"Yeah. Who knew I was a beacon for megalomaniacs with daddy issues and way too much power to deal with them constructively? I'd have suggested therapy but then I found out he's not exactly human. And super old do I figured it would be useless."

"You couldn't tell he was a vampire?" Klaus asks incredulously. He finds it hard to believe. Caroline's always been clever and is closing in on half a century of vampirism. She should know the signs.

She huffs, sounding offended. "Of course I could've. He isn't a vampire. He's an alien. Technically. Though he prefers to be thought of as a god."

"A… God?"

"I wasn't exaggerating about the issues," Caroline tells him dryly. "It's a step up from king, huh?"

Klaus brushes aside the dig, focusing on what else she'd told him. He finds himself halting again, mind whirling. He's never seen or heard any concrete evidence that other beings exist but he's always allowed for the possibility given the universes vastness and the small, tentative, steps humans have so far made to explore it. "An alien," he repeats, just to be certain.

"Yeah, shocked me too. And hey, I don't like to discriminate but he seems to think I should accompany him to Asgard, wherever the hell that is. Is a little too fascinated by compulsion. It doesn't work on him but apparently his mind is a little different than most Asgardians. I like travelling but I'm getting a lot of vagueness in regard to a return date which I am not cool with. I've tried to explain but he isn't being all that understanding about the fact that I'm pretty fond of Earth. I'm done being reasonable."

Klaus, who happened to be quite fond of Caroline being on earth, nodded approvingly. He'd do anything in his power to ensure she stayed within his reach. He resolved to question her about the particulars later, once the immediate threat was passed. "What do you need?"

"To hide. He's going to get called back in like a month. Some kind of royal summons. Not optional. I just need to dodge him until then so I need a witch. A powerful one since this guy's no stranger to magic. I don't want to drag Bonnie into this. She's got her hands full with teenage baby witches. He says time moves differently on other planets so with any luck he'll forget all about lil' old me."

Klaus doesn't share her optimism. He'll have to look into more permanent solutions, find protections. He's already making a mental list. "You're packing?" he confirms. The sooner she's with him the better.

"Not well but I've got the basics together."

They can worry about the rest later. "Find a car," Klaus instructs. "Not one you've ever been in before. Compel whatever human you steal it from not to miss it and drive out of the city. I'll text you directions to a private airstrip. A plane will be waiting. By the time you've landed I'll have a witch who can hide you. We'll head somewhere else, wait out your extraterrestrial paramour."

"Okay," Caroline breathes out. She seems calmer, and Klaus is glad. He'd disliked the shakiness he'd heard immensely. "Thank you," she murmurs. "Where am I going?"

"First? You're coming to me, love," Klaus tells her. And he'll not hear any arguments about it.

Caroline surprises him, manages a weak joke. "Probably smart. Since you're the most powerful being on earth."

Klaus ignores her teasing, pleased that she sounds a little more like herself. "Just so," he agrees, and listens to her laugh. Caroline was one of the few people who'd find him the less dangerous option. Likely because she was one of the few people he'd protect without being offered something in return. "We can argue about our next destination in person, hmm? I seem to remember some differing opinions about Russia. Perhaps we'll take a tour?"

"If we must," Caroline grumbles, though it's half-hearted.

Klaus smiles, amused. "I'll see you soon, Caroline."

She thanks him again before she says goodbye and Klaus changes course, heading back to the airport, head down as he sends texts to multiple contacts to begin to get things arranged. He knows just the witch to contact, will call in a favor he's been saving for a very long time.

Caroline, and the month they'll spend together (more if he can manage it), is worth it.

Clear Up The Record

(Prompts: kc + coffee shop/bakery au + hungry for more than pastries probs in the stock room ;););); + Coffee shop "I write a bad pick up line on your cup every time." Title from 'Coffee' by The Arkells. Rated T).

"Are you a girl scout? Because you tie my heart in knots."

He watches carefully as the brunette reads what he'd written on her cup. Unfortunately, her nose wrinkles she tosses her hair back before she walks out with a huff. Throws a dirty look at him over her shoulder for good measure. Klaus supresses a sigh. He's never struck out quite so often. He hears Caroline giggle softly. He glances over at Caroline and watches her pinch her lips together in a feeble attempt to stifle her amusement. His own disgruntlement at his repeated failures vanishes. She looks happy. It's a far cry from how Caroline had been when she'd started her shift – tight lipped and preoccupied, shooting him occasional glances but avoiding direct eye contact. He'd been mystified at her distance and Klaus takes the favorable shift in her mood as a win.

She'd been up for playing the usual game, had relaxed as the night progressed. Understandable, given how much she liked winning.

The game had started, as those sorts of things always did, out of boredom. Well, boredom and a burning desire to get out of the less pleasant closing tasks. Before they'd implemented it he and Caroline typically relied on rock paper scissors to decide who was stuck with bathroom cleanup duty. He could have foisted such duties off on her easily, since he was technically her supervisor. But that would be rude, not to mention a sure fire way of killing any shot he had of getting Caroline to ever agree to see him outside of work.

The game's rules are simple. 1. A pickup line must be written on a customer's cup. 2. The customer must see and react to the line before they leave the cafe. 3. Points are only awarded if all parties agree the customer's reaction was favorable.

It was too busy during the day to play, the steady stream of cubicle dwellers looking for a caffeine fix and harried assistants picking up big orders of coffee, sandwiches and assorted pastries (the café's bread and butter) making the hours fly.

Evenings were another story. They dragged. Sometimes a person would come in with a laptop and plop themselves at a table and tap away for hours. They got to witness the occasional excruciatingly awkward first date (and the even more seldom date that went really, really well. Part of the reason neither of them were too keen on cleaning the bathrooms was that time they both heard some very suspicious thumping noises coming from the ladies room after a pair on a date had hit it off). The mirror had been covered in hand prints and Klaus hadn't looked too closely at the floor as he'd mopped.

Such excitement was rare. There would be long stretches of time where they had no customers at all.

Those evenings might be Klaus' favorite, if he was being honest. He'd been leery the first time he and Caroline were scheduled to close together, afraid that the bubbly warmth that made Caroline a hit with customers would be cloying during quiet times. He'd been pleasantly surprised to find that there was much more to her. She was sharp and witty, amused him with her wild theorizing about the lives of people who walked by. The hours had passed quickly and he'd almost been sorry to say goodnight. Driving home that evening Klaus had found himself eagerly looking forward to working with Caroline again.

A feeling that had only grown and might have led to Klaus arranging things so they closed together as often as he could manage.

Caroline waits until the offended customer leaves and leans against the counter. She crosses her arms and adopts an exaggeratedly concerned tone, "You are so not having a good night, Klaus. Even your one pointers aren't flying. Maybe the accent's lost its charm?"

He rolls his eyes, tucking his Sharpie back into his apron, "Doubtful, love. I've lived here for six years. You'd think it had happened long ago. Is there something on my face? In my teeth, maybe? You'd tell me, wouldn't you? If only to keep things sporting."

Her brows rise, and she lifts a shoulder in a gesture that's probably supposed to read apologetic, "Um, no. I like to win. Not opposed to playing dirty. At all."

Klaus should have guessed.

It's a half hour until close and Caroline's got nine points to his three. She'd played a couple of two pointers (they had a scale – one point for cute, innocuous pickup lines, two for any that bordered on cheesy or suggestive and three for the filthy ones that could very well get them written up) which was unusual for her. The fact that she hadn't immediately tossed the business card a dark haired guy had slid her, after he'd read the line she'd scribbled on his cup an hour ago, was also out of character. Caroline had even smiled coyly and flirted back for a moment. Something Klaus had noted with great interest even as a twinge of jealousy burned hot.

It's not something she'd ever done before. And Klaus would know, having spent quite a bit of time studying her. Caroline's always been cool and polite with the men who hit on her at work, firmly told them that she wasn't single when they pressed. That her behavior has changed, even if only slightly, is intriguing to Klaus. His more gossipy coworkers have been whispering for weeks that Caroline's relationship was on the rocks and he'd walked in on a frosty cell phone conversation or two in the breakroom during the same time period.

He's been itching to know more but hasn't been able to work out a subtle way. He'd never bothered to learn the man's name (Steven? Stewart? Something like that) so casually asking how he was doing was out of the question. Klaus had only met the boyfriend in passing twice. First when he'd come to pick Caroline up (and hadn't even bothered to hold the door for her, despite the fact that she was juggling coffee, a takeout box and her school things) and then a second time when he'd come out to a pub with them for their boss' birthday. The boyfriend had spent the whole night tucked into the corner of a booth, glued to his phone, offering curt, monosyllabic, answers whenever Caroline had attempted to include him in the conversation.

Those encounters had left Klaus assuming (hoping) that his tenure as Caroline's boyfriend would be short so his name wasn't all that important. She could obviously do leagues better.

Klaus makes a show of untying his apron, "I suppose I ought to concede defeat. In the interest of getting out of here at a reasonable time."

Caroline's head tips to the side and she studies him with interest, "Hot date?" she asks.

Klaus is nearly certain that there's more than casual interest in the question, a bit of a flirt coloring her tone. Fervently hopes it's not just wishful thinking on his part. He pauses, takes a step towards her. Caroline doesn't straighten from her slouch, not even when he's close enough that their legs brush. "Shouldn't I be asking you that, sweetheart? You're the one with a phone number in your apron. Won't your boyfriend be upset about that?"

Caroline's brows furrow and she meets his eyes steadily, "Nope. We broke up three weeks ago."

"I'm sorry," Klaus tells her and he holds back a wince at just how insincerely it had come out.

Luckily, Caroline isn't offended. "No you're not," she shoots back.

"I'm not," Klaus confirms. He sets a hand on the counter next to her hip, watches her carefully before planting the other on the opposite side. She doesn't seem to mind being caged in and he's certain he's not imagining the way her eyes dart down to his mouth. Well, wasn't that promising? More than enough to encourage Klaus to make a leap. "Would you like to join me for a drink after we finish up here, Caroline?"

She bites her lower lip in consideration, fighting a smile. "I would. Do you want to come to my place? Just for a drink. Because I'm covered in coffee stains and I didn't bring a change of clothes. You're totally going to have to work a little harder to get into my pants."

Klaus grins, lets himself crowd her just a bit more, their calves tangling together. He has a brief flash of boosting her onto the counter and stepping between her legs. She's wearing a dress and he'd do all manner of terrible things to get a peek at what's underneath it, learn the texture of her bare skin. "Work harder?" he teases. "I wasn't aware I'd been working at all."

Caroline rests a hand on his chest, her fingertips toying with one of the buttons at his throat, "That's a lie and you know it, Klaus. There's a pool going."

That takes him aback. He shifts, attempts to push away so he can ask what she means, but Caroline's hand is fisted in his collar, refusing to let him go far. "I beg your pardon?"

"Everyone's in on it," Caroline informs him breezily. "Come on, you've been checking me out since I started and we've been flirting for almost as long. I had Enzo put some money down for me. You're going to need to ask me out in front of someone tomorrow."

Klaus blinks down at her for a moment, "Ask you out?" he repeats.

Caroline doesn't seem put off by his confusion, "It's the day I bet on. We're both working the afternoon so they'll be witnesses. Make it good."

"What's in it for me?" Klaus wonders. Though he has a pretty good idea.

Caroline's smile widens, and she leans in, her lips almost brushing his ear when she speaks, "Well, a date for one. And I have every reason to believe it'll go well."

"Leading to a second?"

"Most likely. And I've already invited you over, Klaus. There are a whole lot of things that aren't sex that we can do." She presses a kiss to his jaw, lets her hands drag down his chest before she pulls away. "Now go. Clean. I'll get the chairs. Let's aim for the speediest close ever, okay?"

Klaus isn't going to argue with that.

Different Worlds and Different Rules

(Prompt: minidrabble kc + caroline ends up in her future self's body. Title from 'Where is Home? By Bloc Party. Rated T).

Caroline's not a big fan of early wake ups.

Her snooze button gets a workout regularly. It's only the fact that if she doesn't get up and get to cheer practice to start barking orders the girls will end up slacking, and ogling the track team instead of stretching, that forces her out of her nice warm bed most mornings. It was her senior year and there was a trophy on the line. Caroline couldn't have the squad wasting valuable practice time.

She's awake but barely, trying to fall asleep again since no alarm had blared, when she notices that there's something… off. The bed she's on is amazing, huge and the sheets feel incredible. The only problem? It's definitely not hers. And she distinctly remembers going to sleep in her own room after a marathon chemistry studying session last night. She smells several things, some familiar others not. Sex and blood. A hint of wine and a whiff of woodsy cologne that she can't immediately place even if it tugs at something at the back of her memory.

Plus, she's naked. And that's alarming.

Caroline fights the urge to panic, tells herself that she has to think. She pushes past her nudity, and the black hole in her memory, notes that she's not hungry so at least she's fed recently. Her movements aren't restricted and there's no lingering vervain burns, none of the aches that happen after a major injury. She keeps her breathing steady focuses her senses. Reminds herself that she's been in tight spots before and so far this is far from the worst.

More alert, Caroline cracks her eyes open, and heaves herself up on her elbows, glancing around the room. She doesn't recognize it, only notes that everything in it looks really freaking expensive from the art on the walls, to the leather couches that look buttery soft and inviting, to the heavy curtains that cover what must be huge windows along one wall. There's clothes strewn over the plush carpet and Caroline can hear water falling from an adjoining bathroom.

Excellent. A window to escape and find out where the hell she is and how the fuck she'd gotten there. She didn't know if whoever had taken her was a moron or just overconfident but escape was always the best option if you didn't know who, or what, you were up against. She'd find a phone and call Bonnie. And her mom.

Hurriedly wrapping the sheet around herself she slides off the bed. Caroline skips over the black heels, eyes the torn bit of black lace that might have been panties once just beyond them for a moment before shaking herself. She picks up the pants that lay in the middle of the room, silently cursing when the belt jingles. She listens for a moment but the shower continues to run, no one bounding out to stop her from fleeing. Caroline eyes the pants critically, giving the fabric an experimental tug. They're clearly well made, and have very little give. So not going to fit. She drops them but grabs the shoes that lay next to them. Those she can make work.

She finds a dress next, is dismayed to find that the straps are torn. She slips it on anyway, folds down the waist to ensure it stays put, giving herself a few extra inches of skirt in the process. There's a dress shirt and a suit jacket by the door and she pads over to them.

Ugh. And of course the shirt is missing a couple buttons.

Caroline slips it on and ties it closed, is just about to throw the jacket on and bolt when the bathroom door opens. She freezes, but only for a moment. Then she lunges for the fancy lacquered table next to the door, tearing a leg off and holding it up, her fangs dropping as her vision sharpens.

She stills in confusion because one, her captor is naked, beads of water dripping down his lean form. She really shouldn't be so captivated by the sight by given he's a kidnapping creep but she chalks it up to shock. And two because he's clearly unconcerned about her attempts to escape, rubbing a towel over his hair, obscuring his face, and not looking at her. When he speaks it's conversational, teasing, and Caroline's dealt another blow because she knows it. "You're up early. Surprising, given how late you kept me up. Did you want to join me in the shower, love? I don't mind getting a late start."

Her jaw drops and her grip on her makeshift stake tightens, "Klaus?" she shrieks, her outrage clear. "Are you kidnapping me? God, didn't you just say we were friends? Friends don't abduct friends. I thought that was self-explanatory but I guess not." He'd dropped his hands when she'd first started speaking and is blinking at her in confusion. Caroline takes a step back, banging into the door, and the memories of how she'd awoken flooding through her. She feels sick, and her voice shakes when she asks her next question, "Why was I naked and why can't I remember getting naked? What did you do to me?"

Klaus has gone very still, and he wraps the towel around his waist slowly, studying her carefully. "Caroline, sweetheart, take a breath," he instructs her, firm and coaxing, and Caroline finds herself inhaling raggedly in response. "Now, what's the last thing you remember?"

She swallows hard. "I… studying. I have my Chemistry final on Thursday."

Klaus' face remains soft, something like understanding dawning, and he makes no move to approach her. "Right. You told me about this. It was such a long time ago, however. I assure you, sweetheart that I did not kidnap you. And I'm afraid that final was oh, about a hundred and thirteen years ago though I am sure you did excellently."

"A hundred and thirteen … what?!" she finds herself yelping, wincing at the high pitch. "Klaus, that's insane."

"I thought so too, but you insisted it happened. Were quite vague on the details, something about refusing to mess with the space-time continuum. At the time I wondered if you'd been dabbling in some of the herbs witches peddle but I guess I've been proved wrong. I do wish I'd pressed for more details."

"I would never," Caroline spits out, offended at the implication that she'd done drugs.

An amused little smile plays about Klaus' mouth, "I happen to know that you have, love. You've passed your 130th birthday at this point in time. You've always delighted in new experiences. Is it really so hard to believe that you've experimented a bit?"

Caroline glares, "Do you really expect me to buy any of this? Cut the crap, Klaus."

He sighs, and nods to a small sparkly purse that had been hidden under the table Caroline had destroyed, "Your phone should be in there, love. Why don't you take a look through it while I dress?"

Caroline debates her options. Going out, alone, with no money, or staying here and humoring Klaus' crazy long enough to get answers? It was a tough decision.

Klaus waits for her grudging nod before heading to a stack of suitcases in the corner of the room. He rummages for a moment. He glances over at her, "Would you like something else to wear?"

Caroline eyes him suspiciously, her back still pressed tightly against the door.

Klaus shakes his head, and gathers a few things before disappearing into the bathroom. Caroline dives for the bag the second the door's shut. The phone's right on top, slim and silver. She taps the screen, almost fumbling at the photo that pops up. It's a selfie, Klaus looking mildly annoyed while she presses a kiss to his cheek, her hair blowing in the wind. Caroline bites her lip and presses her thumb to the single button. 'Identification Accepted' flashes across the screen and Caroline's left looking at an array of unfamiliar icons.

Maybe there was something to this whole 'You're in the future!' thing.

She goes right to the one labeled photos, begins to flick through the dizzying array. There are a lot of them. Places she's never been to, things she's never seen. Klaus pops up frequently, often not directly in the frame, like she'd been sneaky about getting him in the photo. She's shocked to see Rebekah, Kol and Elijah too. Enzo's in several, and Stefan. Tons of people she doesn't recognize. Caroline finds herself sinking to the floor, her legs trembling and weak.

Can vampires have panic attacks? Was there a paper bag she could breathe into? Did those even still exist?

Caroline swallows down a hysterical laugh and opens the phone's browser, searches 'today's news.' Clicks on links, barely skims the information, just confirms that the dates are exactly what Klaus had indicated.

She's more than a freaking century in the future.

If this is a prank, or a trick, it's pretty damn elaborate. Klaus is powerful, but Caroline doubts he can control the whole internet.

She goes back to the pictures, hungrily studies the details. It's blowing her mind that she'll go to all these places someday.

That's how Klaus finds her when he reappears, wide eyed and bent over the phone. He's fully dressed this time and he takes one look at her before retrieving a bottle of liquor and a blanket. Caroline takes a hearty swig of the bourbon once it's offered, realizing that it can't make things any worse. It burns but she doesn't care. She drapes the blanket Klaus had handed over across her lap and tries to figure out what to say.

Klaus had assumed she'd join him in the shower. They travelled together, shared luggage. Possibly a life. Had he been responsible for the torn clothes she'd found? Had some version of herself actually ripped his shirt off him?

How had that even happened?

Klaus settles down across from her, legs stretched out in her direction. His eyes catalogue her every reaction hungrily but his movements are careful, not letting himself get too close. Caroline finds herself appreciative. "So…" she begins slowly, plucking at the blanket. "You and future me are a thing, huh?"

He smiles, leans back on his hands. "It's relatively new, truth be told. Less than a decade. You nearly made me wait the full century."

Caroline's honestly kind of floored that he had waited. Last she'd heard he was set to leave Mystic Falls in his dust. She'd kind of assumed she'd leave his mind once he found someplace bigger and better. Had told herself she had no right to be sad or wistful about that, given who Klaus was and the fact that she shouldn't be feeling anything for him after the things he'd done.

She clears her throat, letting her eyes drift around the room. She thinks it's a hotel. As lovely as it is there's nothing of her here. Nothing that speaks of Klaus, either. "Where are we?"

Again, Klaus answers easily. Seemingly content to let her drive the conversation. "Tokyo, actually. It's a favorite of yours. It's the first time we've been here together. Just arrived the day before yesterday. It was supposed to be my day to pick the sights."

"Sorry," Caroline apologizes, letting her eyes meet his briefly. She quickly looks away, finds the way he's watching her unnerving. "For the whole time travelling thing messing up your turn."

He waves her off, unconcerned. "No matter. We've really nothing but time. Future you will make it up to me. Besides, one of the few things my Caroline told me about this incident was that her visit wasn't particularly long. I believe you'll return to your proper time and place soon enough."

Caroline processes that, takes a longing glance at the covered windows. "Can we… leave?" She asks tentatively. She tucks a strand of hair behind her ear and meets his gaze once more, feeling oddly shy, "I meant it when I said I'd never been anywhere. I figure I might as well take advantage of whatever weirdness is screwing with me, right?"

Klaus smiles and rises, "Of course we can, sweetheart. I'd be delighted to keep my promise of showing you around." He nods towards the suitcases, his toe nudging at her foot. It's encased in what must be his shoe and she catches a hint of a smirk on his lips, "I find your ensemble fetching, of course but it might draw a few stares. Why don't you change? I'll grab us something to eat. Do you need blood or will food suffice?"

"Food is fine," she tells him, reaches out without thinking. Klaus clasps her hand and pulls her to her feet. She's not sure if it's her surprise at the ease of her action, or if he'd put a little extra elbow into it, but she ends up stumbling into him. He steadies her, his free hand on her hip, before taking a step back to an almost polite distance.

She fleetingly wishes he hadn't, had stayed pressed against her.

Not thoughts she should be having. Even if release has been hard to come by with Tyler gone. She firmly reminds herself of exactly whose fault that is. She manages to stop herself from tossing him a dirty look, because what was the point of holding something Klaus had done a century ago against him right now?

She had obviously managed to get over it at some point. The way she'd woken up, the state of the clothes on the floor, made it abundantly clear that future Caroline and future Klaus were significantly more than friends.

"Am I happy?" she blurts out, lifting her eyes to study Klaus.

He seems to consider the question, for several long moments. "I believe you are. It's not perfect. I have enemies and certain friends of yours still aren't all that fond of me. You and Rebekah have only managed to tolerate each other in short bursts and you think Elijah is a 'self-righteous busy body.' We fight. I'm not particularly good at apologies and neither of us admits defeat easily. Compromise is a battle. But so far we've always made up and I've every intention of seeing that trend continue."

It's honest. More honest than she was expecting. He could have painted something prettier, tempting words about their adventures or their passion. She thinks she likes the reality better. Can see herself wanting it someday. Something complicated and challenging. It sounds like it would never be boring, at least. Klaus has always pushed her, made her question how she saw the world, and herself. Maybe he still does the same for future her, and maybe she manages to do the same for him.

She thinks about asking him if he's happy, but the way he's watching her kind of makes it unnecessary. Fascinated, but distant. His words had told her all that she needed to know. Klaus tried for her, attempted to, as she'd once advised, get out of his own way. He wouldn't bother if he didn't want to.

The silence has lingered, and it's grown a little heavy. Caroline offers him a smile, "I'll be quick. And I have high expectations," she jokes. "Current me might decide to make you wait two centuries, you know."

He hasn't dropped her hand, and he bows, a touch theatrically, dropping a kiss to the back of her knuckles. Caroline rolls her eyes, but Klaus speaks before she can mock him for being cheesy. His eyes hold hers, teasing and lit with determination, "Challenge accepted, sweetheart."

She hadn't meant it like that. Caroline has a sinking feeling that there's no way he's not going to win. Maybe current her won't even last as long as future her had.

"God, this time travel thing is confusing," she blurts out, before tugging her hand away from Klaus. He chuckles softly and lets himself out of the room. Caroline's glad he'd taken the hint, and was letting her get her bearings.

There was no way she was going to miss this opportunity. A free trip to Tokyo? She could worry about the rest, the faint stirrings of unease about what spending time with this version of Klaus would do to her, and how this had even happened, later. Much later. Klaus had been right when he'd said she had nothing but time.