Notes: For day 3 of klarolineauweek! The theme was Because Magic.
Bloody Thump
(Prompt: kc + "We were sent back in time from a spell gone wrong and got stranded in the forest. It has only been a day, but I'm freaking out and... are you giving me bedroom eyes NOW OF ALL TIMES?!" AU Title from "Sour Cherry" by The Kills. Rated T).
They're trudging silently, and it's not a comfy silence. No, it was a seething, awkward awful silence and Caroline's skin crawled, every part of her dying to break it, as it dragged on and on and on.
She grits her teeth and resists the temptation, calling on her vast reserves of stubbornness.
Talking to Klaus had proven to be a very bad idea and she's not about to try it again. She was stuck with him until Bonnie was safe and sound then she could go on with her preferred Klaus management plan – pretending like he didn't even exist. For Bonnie she could endure the discomfort of the scornful glares Klaus kept tossing over his shoulder as he checked to make sure Caroline was keeping up.
They were kind of dumb and pointless, Caroline thought snidely. If she was going to leave she would have done it ages ago after they'd finished shouting at each other.
She pointedly ignores his eyes, scanning her surroundings. It hits her that she recognizes them, this particular path one she'd walked often as a child. Caroline used to spend her summers tearing through them with whatever friends could be coaxed outside to lose at hide and seek. She takes a sharp left, kicking branches out of her way to reveal an overgrown path. She doesn't bother to inform Klaus about the detour she was taking. He'd figure it out soon enough.
She hears a guttural curse a few moments later and smiles grimly in satisfaction. The leaves behind her rustle and Caroline walks faster once she can feel Klaus practically breathing down her neck. I thought," he says, his anger evident in the extra crisp way he enunciates, "that we'd established that I do, in fact, know how to read a map."
"We did," she agrees, matching his overly polite tone with a frosty one of her own. "But since I grew up here I don't need a map to tell me there's a huge, gross bog like fifty feet ahead. Elena and I used to tell Jeremy it would eat him if he got too close. Feel free to plow on through but I just bought these boots and they weren't cheap."
"Here I thought you were desperate to save the Bennett witch." Klaus mocks. "And yet you can't even sacrifice your shoes to the task? Such friendship."
The noise Caroline lets out is low and disgusted and she needs to get away from him. Right now. Before she does something stupid and probably violent. She leaps forward, easing into her top speed within a few strides, whipping past trees so quickly they're nothing but a blur from the corner of her eye.
Klaus keeps up, could probably easily pass her, but he stays at her heels.
That turns out to be unfortunate.
Caroline's hit with a wave of something, nausea and a feeling of dizziness that she didn't think she'd ever be subjected to again. She stops abruptly and Klaus slams into her back, sending them both crashing to the forest floor. She lands hard, her wrist snapping on impact, and she lets out a high pitched yelp, rolling to her side and cradling it to her stomach. "Son of a bitch," she hisses, eyes shut tightly as she tries to push the pain away so she can figure out what's wrong.
Vampires didn't puke and she really felt like she might.
She can feel Klaus behind her on the ground. He's tense, his breathing harsh and audible so she assumes he's in much the same state as she is. Which isn't good at all.
Caroline heaves herself onto her back, intent on asking Klaus what the hell is happening, but an immense weight settles onto her chest, and she chokes on his name. His eyes fly open, wide and alarmed, a hoarse grunt the only sound he seems capable of making. She watches in horror as his face begins to turn blue, as he struggles, even as she weakly kicks her legs in a futile attempt to dislodge whatever imaginary force that is suffocating her, her panic growing with every inhale she skips.
This is how she'd died.
It's not something she'd ever wanted to relive though sometimes her subconscious was a real piece of work that liked to torture her. Caroline occasionally experiences nightmares that left her bed soaked in sweat and her unable to even contemplate going back to sleep. This is worse.
She feels a something brush against her fingers just as darkness bleeds into her field of vision. Caroline finds herself latching on instinctively, Klaus' hand hot in hers.
At least she's not alone this time.
Just like the last time she'd been smothered Caroline awakens with a gasp, disoriented to find herself alive when she'd been sure it was the end. She flinches at the touch to her shoulder, relaxes when she recognizes the voice. It's pitched soft and reassuring, and her hair is smoothed from her face by careful fingers. "Shh, Caroline. You're fine. It's me."
His hand wraps around her bicep, tugging her up gently and she lets Klaus help her sit upright. Her body aches, her bones feel ground together and brittle. She swallows hard, cracking her neck with a grimace. "Ugh. What was that?"
"Magic," Klaus supplies succinctly. "Powerful stuff."
"Of course it was," Caroline grumbles. She squints at her surroundings, the thick canopy of trees. They're not the same ones that had been there when she'd blacked out. Had Klaus moved her for some reason?
Klaus speaks again, sounding uncharacteristically hesitant, "I'm afraid I have some bad news."
Caroline laughs, dry and harsh, "Awesome. Of course you do. Some freaking rainbows and sunshine is obviously too much to ask for. Lay it on me, Klaus. What steaming heap of total shit have we landed in?"
He sighs, nods behind her and Caroline turns slowly mindful of the protesting of her sore muscles. There are two men standing in a tiny clearing, staring vacantly into the distance. By itself, that wouldn't have alarmed Caroline but she's smart enough to quickly note the many things that are off about them.
They have a horse, which isn't exactly normal. And they're dressed in dull brown tones, leather leggings and coarse looking shirts that she can only describe as tunics. They're dusty looking, with scraggly beards and long hair.
What are the odds Klaus found two cosplayers in the forest in Mystic Falls? Not good.
"No way," Caroline breathes out. She gropes blindly for Klaus, her nails digging into the skin of his forearm when she grasps it. "Please tell me I'm hallucinating. Hell, tell me you're Silas. Tell me I have gone completely insane and you're visiting me in a vampire looney bin."
Klaus makes no move to shake off her hold. His tone remains gentle and it's beginning to freak Caroline out. He's majorly pissed at her right now, she knows. The fact that he's making an effort to be kind means they are completely screwed. "I'm afraid I can't tell you any of those things, sweetheart."
"Who are they?" she asks, though she has a pretty good idea.
"Dinner," Klaus announces, blithely confirming her suspicions.
He begins to stand and Caroline hurriedly follows him, using her grip on him to haul herself up so she doesn't have to move the wrist that's still throbbing. "You can't eat them," she insists. ""It's a basic rule of time travel! Change nothing. What if you kill them and screw up their ancestors? Maybe that one's great great great times whatever grandson cures polio or something!"
Klaus' face creases in skepticism, "I think you watch far too much television, love. Careful, it'll rot your brain."
She shakes him roughly, annoyed at the condescension. "Tell me, oh great knowing one, have you ever time traveled before? Did you even know it was a thing?"
"No," Klaus admits, and she can tell it kills him. "Few witches possess the sort of power your little friend can call upon so I going to assume it's exceedingly difficult to make happen."
"We don't have to kill them," Caroline presses. "Drink enough to get by and send them on their way. What's the harm in being cautious?"
Klaus' eyes roll upward but he concedes, "Fine."
Caroline cracks a smile, finally releasing his arm, "Murder," she jokes, "not always the answer, who knew?"
"Not true. I've found it's often the most expedient way to go about things." Caroline levels him with an unimpressed look (was that revelation supposed to be surprising?) and Klaus smirks, gesturing to the men. "But we can agree to disagree. Ladies first."
Caroline's eyes widen, realizing he wants her to drink from them, in front of him, and her stomach clenches as her nerves go haywire. She's never done that, unless you counted choking down thin, bitter animal blood in while Stefan watched. Somehow she doesn't think it's going to be similar, knows that Klaus watching her feed is in a whole other ballpark. One Caroline is pretty sure is way too dangerous to play in.
She takes a step back, glancing anywhere but at Klaus' curious face, unable to help babbling out a denial. "Oh! No, I mean… I'm fine. Good. Really, I had a huge breakfast so I don't need…"
Klaus scoffs, reaching out and tapping the injured wrist she's kept close to her body. It's the lightest touch imaginable, barely more than a brush, but it still sends a hot bolt of agony shooting up her arm. Caroline sucks in a breath through her teeth to keep from shouting, turning slightly so he can't repeat the action easily. "You're injured," he says, unnecessarily pointing out the obvious. "Judging from what they told me before you woke we've got quite a walk before we get to what passes for civilization in this century. You…"
"What century is that?" Caroline interrupts.
"Early 17th. I believe I recall a witch relatively nearby who might get us some answers. I don't know about you but I'm not content to wait on anyone who might deign to rescue us."
Caroline's in agreement. With everything going on at home she'd bet that 'Find Caroline and Klaus' would rank pretty low on the priority list. And wasn't that a depressing thought. She'd need to save her own ass and she was smart enough to know that Klaus – with his bajillion years and old connections – was her best bet for getting home.
"Then I'll find a meal when we get to wherever we're going," Caroline tries. At least then she could feed privately.
The low noise Klaus lets out is nearly a growl. "You drink from them and you'll heal in an hour or so. Otherwise it could take days. It's perfectly simple. Unless," Klaus continues, a challenging glint in his eye as he pulls his sleeve up and lifts his arm, "they're not to your taste? I suppose I could be content to donate some of my blood."
Um, no. That's not happening. She's not proud of the dreams she's had about Klaus the other times she'd had to drink his blood. Does her very best not to think of them. There's no way she's risking a repeat when they're likely going to be forced to remain in close proximity in the coming days.
One look at the determined set of Klaus' face tells Caroline that this is not a fight he's going to let go of. She considers her options. They can go back and forth, for god knows how long, or they can actually get on with the business of figuring out a way to get back to the 21st century with its conveniently packaged blood and indoor plumbing.
Throwing up her good hand in exasperation Caroline relents, "Ugh, fine. Just don't watch me. It's creepy."
She stalks passed him, scrutinizes the two men carefully, trying to figure out which one is less filthy. There's no clear winner and in the end she approaches the larger of the two, attempting a reassuring smile. He doesn't react, and she gently nudges his head to the side, standing on her tiptoes to get at the artery in his neck. "Sorry," she mumbles, letting her fangs descend.
She can feel Klaus watching her, even though she'd asked him not to. Caroline hopes he can't see that her hands are trembling.
She bites down, trying not to tear too badly. Wounds were iffy these days, right? Antibiotics weren't something people had available. Caroline figures there's no need to make her argument to let the humans live be completely pointless.
Until the blood hits her tongue, rich and sweet, and all she can think is more.
A hungry little noise falls from her, muffled in skin and she presses closer, her eyes falling shut in bliss as her hands grip with more force. The man doesn't struggle, he's docile under Caroline's hold. Some dark part of her, one she keeps carefully buried, wishes that he would.
It's been so long since she's had this.
Blood from bags is fine, does the trick and keeps her going, but the slight plastic-y aftertaste kind of marred the whole experience. It's like diet food, artificial and not wholly satisfying.
This is a feast, decadent and delicious, and Caroline forgets to be careful, gulping greedily, uncaring that she's spilling.
It's Klaus who tears her away, and she whirls on him with a snarl. He blocks that hand that had gone for his throat, easily propelling her back and using his hips to press her against the tree. His fangs are out, eyes glowing hybrid yellow, and his voice is a rough grate that makes Caroline shiver, "Easy, love. You're the one who didn't want to kill."
She swallows, tries to breathe through her nose, grasping for sense. Klaus' eyes have fallen to her lips, hot and intent. Caroline goes very still as his hand comes up to cup her face. "So pretty when you let yourself be what you were meant to be," he rumbles, his thumb swiping up the trail of blood that had dripped down her chin.
She can't do anything but watch as he brings his thumb to his mouth, licking the blood from it with a low, satisfied hum. She feels it, in all the places they're pressed together, and her stomach clenches with something that's definitely not nerves.
It's arousal. Thick and potent. The smallest nudge away from becoming need.
Klaus could dip his head, lick the rest of the blood from her mouth. Caroline knows she wouldn't do anything to stop him. She would open to him, welcome his weight pinning her to the tree. Her legs would wrap around his hips and she'd sink her fangs into his plush lower lip so she could taste him. She would smile when he moaned for her.
She almost grabs for him when he pushes off the tree, the stab of pain from her still healing hand the thing that stops her, lets the smallest cold breeze of rationality creep in.
Caroline sags against the tree, blearily watching Klaus walk back to the two travellers as she tried to get her body under control. She forces her fangs away, wills her heart to stop pounding. The way he moves is mesmerizing, the deliberate steps he takes. She'd almost call it hunting. Distantly she realizes that watching him feed is a terrible idea feeling like she does now. There's blood in her mouth, exhilaration in her veins, the echo of the feel of him pressed against her lingering on her skin. She's feels a little out of control. She feels like she could do anything and Caroline finds she kind of likes it.
She should turn away.
She doesn't.
Klaus isn't careful like she had been, Caroline notes, his hands adjusting the man's body to his satisfaction. There are no apologies made as he prepares to take, no delicate slicing through flesh.
He bites and her mouth waters, a pang of envy nagging at her.
She doesn't look away, not even when Klaus finishes, leaves the man he'd fed from swaying on his feet. He turns and Caroline's eyes drop to his bloody mouth. His smirk is feral, inviting and she wonders what blood tastes like on his tongue.
She is in so much trouble.