Notes: I asked for fluff prompts last week on Tumblr and got a ton! I've combined as many as I can and I'm working my way through. This one was the first posted. It's a sequel the original fic can be found in Chapter 111.
Two Sugars, Hold The Arsenic (Part Two)
(Prompt: Caroline the assassin working in the coffee shop sequel + How about Klaus awkwardly brings her flowers to acquit himself… cuz reasons. Rated T).
The best part of her job at the coffee shop – and there's not a whole lot of positives – is that Caroline's typically off by 2:00 PM. She usually heads home, takes a nap. Checks in with good people of Port Charles and makes dinner.
Then she's ready to head out for her real job.
She'd snuck into Klaus' place last week (sue her she's losing patience) and had planted a few cameras. She's a little shocked that they haven't been found but maybe Klaus is that arrogant. Or maybe he just trusts his security systems. To his credit, they had been a bitch to get through.
Caroline's nearing the sixth month mark of her assignment and she still hasn't managed to kill him. Every morning he walks into the coffee shop, every morning she sets a test, one only she's aware of.
He keeps freaking passing.
The check in texts she gets from her handler have been coming more frequently and steadily growing testier. Caroline hadn't bothered to reply to the last one and she knows she's running out of time.
There's no real opt out option in her line of work, not this deep into a job. Caroline has a call to make. Either she does it - slips Klaus the poison and slips out of this life - or she runs.
She's taking advantage of some conversations she's overheard – Klaus has business tonight, won't be home until very late. Caroline's planning to do a little snooping.
Okay, a lot of very thorough and invasive snooping, in hopes of finding something that'll tip her into the right mindset – the 'this guy is truly evil and should die even though he's charming and looks me in the eye even though I'm a lowly service industry peon' mindset.
She's nervous as enters his building.
Last time she'd ducked in behind a couple, they'd been inebriated and handsy and hadn't even noticed. She'd tripped the woman, providing enough of a distraction that the concierge hadn't spared Caroline a glance. She's not going to count on that kind of luck a second time so she uses a back entrance. She'd found a reasonable copy of the coveralls the maintenance people wear, has her hair tied back and a pair of thick rimmed glasses perched on her nose. She's quick enough at picking the lock that anyone who notices her on a security camera wouldn't assume she has keys.
Once inside, she's invisible. Listings in Klaus' building start at 5 million, people who have that kind of cash to throw around tend to avoid eye contact with anyone in a uniform.
He's on the top floor, of course. Has a private elevator. Caroline had picked his pocket and copied his keys early on and it only takes her a minute to figure out the correct one.
She takes a deep breath once she's inside the car, rests her back against the wall and watches the numbers climb as she ascends. The hard part is over, she should relax.
Should.
She jumps at the ding that rings out just before the doors slide open, laughs shakily as she steps into Klaus' foyer. Last time she'd been all business, hadn't really taken the time to assess anything beyond the best, most discrete, places to set up her cameras.
She's not on a time crunch now, finds herself soaking in the details. It's a man's place, clearly. All dark wood and muted colors. She's surprised by how comfortable the furniture looks, it's all upholstered in rich fabrics, plush and sturdy.
She'd spent a frankly shameful amount of time watching Klaus lounging on his couch in the last week. He keeps the apartment warm, Caroline notes, probably why he always sees to be half-undressed while home alone.
She's drawn to a painting over the fireplace, is studying it so intently that she doesn't realize she's not alone.
Rookie mistake.
Caroline freezes when she hears a throat clear behind her, and she wishes she'd thought to take out a weapon. There's a gun in her bag, a knife in her boot. There's zero chance she can get to either of them and launch an attack if the person behind her is even halfway competent.
Given that she's never seen a single person other than Klaus in this apartment, that she knows he keeps a second one in a sketchier part of town to meet up with various goons and allies, she's pretty sure violence isn't going to be the answer.
"You're a bit later than I expected," Klaus murmurs, confirming her suspicions. "Don't you have an early morning tomorrow?"
She swallows a groan of annoyance – at herself more than him. This kind of sloppiness is galling. "I was thinking about taking a sick day, figure I…" the rest of her sentence trails off when she turns and sees that Klaus is holding flowers.
A pretty bunch, purple and white blooms, artful bits of greenery mixed in. She stares at it for a long moment before her eyes lift to Klaus, not even trying to hide her incredulousness. Klaus' weight shifts, infinitesimally yes, but it does, the bouquet passing from his right hand to his left.
Is he… nervous?
He's dressed casually, dark jeans and a grey t-shirt. His hair is neat but his feet are bare, and that more than anything throws her. She'd broken into his house, he's known she would, and he hadn't even bothered with shoes? If she runs he won't be able to give chase.
"I made dinner. If you're hungry."
"Did you shave the garlic with a razorblade?" Caroline asks, eyeing the flowers again. She's sure they're for her and, as a girl who shamelessly likes pretty things and romantic gestures, she's kinda flattered.
But mostly she's confused.
Usually, Caroline suspects, when the friendly neighbourhood barista arrives at a mobster's place unannounced, she's not greeted with gifts.
"I did not…" Klaus says slowly and Caroline cannot believe that he's never seen Goodfellas, given his line of work. "The recipe called for minced."
She can't resist cracking a smile and Klaus returns it stepping forward, his frame visibly relaxing. "Can I take your coat, love? Perhaps your bag? I promise you don't need the weapons I'm sure you've tucked away."
Caroline grips the strap that crosses her chest. "How long have you known I'm not a barista?"
"Oh, ages." He doesn't even seem mad about it. "When did you decide not to kill me?"
"Who says I've decided not to kill you?"
The look he shoots her is amused and he clearly doesn't believe her. At all. Super annoying because Caroline Forbes is a great liar, thank you very much. "Something tells me you're the decisive type."
Technically correct.
"Are you hungry? I thought we'd eat, discuss… our situation. We can go out, if you'd be more comfortable."
"Probably not a good idea to discuss our 'situation' in public." What with all the potential murder and crime.
Klaus inclines his head, "I can arrange for us to have privacy."
With big fat wads of cash, Caroline assumes.
Caroline considers her options. Klaus obviously knows she's not who she's pretending to be. He's had ample time and the means to eliminate her, if that's what he'd wanted to do. Caroline's decisive yes, but she also trusts her instincts.
She takes the flowers, brushes a fingertip over a petal. "I could eat," she says.
Klaus smiles warmly, his eyes brightening and it really would have been a shame to remove those dimples from the world.