Notes: I managed to squish three prompts together in this one, hence why it ended up getting longer than intended.
Good Meddling
(Prompts: How about a drabble with klaus and Caroline having a one night stand and then an awkward meeting the day later? + I listened to a podcast recently with an interview with a host at a restaurant who sometimes offered to seat two single parties together bc they only had one table so maybe accidental date bc only one table? + "well this is awkward..."! Rated M.)
It's Monday and Caroline is struggling.
She's never really had an issue with Mondays. She likes weekends, of course, free time. But she also likes a fresh start, the opportunity to tackle new challenges. She's usually cheerier than her coworkers at the start of the week, breezes into the office and leads the chorus of 'good mornings!' and idle chit chat as computers are turned on and coffee cups are filled.
She'd gotten a couple of side-eyes this morning, the thunderclouds over her head obvious even to those she's not close with. A few people had asked what was wrong, had backed off when Caroline had made vague excuses of feeling like she was coming down with something.
Kat's away for the week, visiting her family in Bulgaria, so Caroline couldn't really vent, or even assign blame. Her issue is 97% Katherine's fault. Caroline will own the remaining 3% for taking Kat's terrible advice.
She'd have been better off staying in on Saturday night, gorging on Haagen Dazs and binging whatever Netflix show had to hottest people on the cover image.
No, Caroline had gone out. Had worn a dress slightly too nice for the casual bar (two neighborhoods over, Kat had stressed the importance of venturing outside her home turf) she'd found. She'd settled on a stool, had been prepared to enact step two of the plan (find the most attractive person in the place, offer to buy them a drink) only to be distracted by the bartender.
Klaus.
In her defense, he'd been very pleasing to the eye. The ear too, when he'd spoken. In hindsight he'd probably been a little too pleasing to her brain. Kat's plan had stressed that Caroline needed to go with what her body wanted, to find someone who made her a little sweaty and a lot excited. Klaus had ticked those boxes, plus a few others. Caroline had been amused when he'd deftly deflected the attention of a few bridesmaids, annoyed when he'd insisted on making her a drink better than the vodka water she'd ordered. Grudgingly impressed when the concoction Klaus had place in front of her had been amazing.
They'd chatted about her job, he'd explained that he juggled a few things – bartending, commissioned illustrations and his own paintings. They'd talked about where they'd come from and Caroline had asked him a million questions. She'd always wanted to go to New Orleans, and hadn't yet made it to the UK. Mostly because she's a workaholic and the idea of taking more than a week off gives her hives.
"Don't talk to the dude you're going to get under" had been Kat's number one rule. Caroline really should have paid more attention. Kat had been lecturing her one of their lunch hours last week and Caroline had nodded and hummed at appropriate intervals but she'd thought the conversation kind of dumb. She'd humored Katherine, has found that's usually the wisest course of action. Kat hadn't listened when Caroline had pointed out that she didn't need to get over her ex (she'd done that ages ago, thank you). She's just a little bitter that he's getting married and she hasn't even really liked someone since him.
She'd only vented about it because her mom's birthday's coming up. Caroline's heading back to Mystic Falls for the weekend and people are going to comment, to look for her reactions and whisper behind her back.
She'd been super glad to leave that aspect of small town life behind when she'd escaped for college, Caroline's never even considered going back.
Sunday morning she'd taken advantage of the anonymity of a big city, had slipped from Klaus the bartender's apartment when the sun had barely been out, hadn't garnered more than a raised brow or two in her borrowed (okay stolen) clothes while she'd waited for her Uber to arrive.
Caroline had regretted not leaving her number as soon as the door to his place had closed behind her. She'd even checked the doorknob to see if she could sneak back in. It had been locked and she'd told herself she'd been silly to feel disappointed. Getting attached was beside the point of the exercise. Besides, weren't relationships grown from one night stands bound to fail? There was probably a study.
Or maybe just a Cosmo article.
Either way, Caroline's only option had been to leave, to never return to Klaus' bar (or anything in it's vicinity). She'd treated herself to a quick shower then a long bath when she'd gotten home, had broken out her fancy special occasion bath oil and drowsed the morning away in the tub.
Her mood had remained subdued, she'd chalked it up to sleep deprivation and had tucked herself into bed at 9:00 PM.
She'd been super productive at work, had avoided breaks and her coworkers, and plowed through both her urgent to do list and her secondary things to get ahead list.
Caroline decides to treat herself to something excessively carb-y for dinner as a reward.
The best all day breakfast place she knows is just on the cusp of the mental no-fly zone she's enacted around Klaus' bar. She and the girls do brunch there nearly every week, and Caroline attacks a pile of peanut butter stuffed waffles (liberally drizzled with chocolate sauce and caramelized bananas) once a month when her uterus demands it. It's always packed so reservations are a must for a group but, if she's alone, she can usually slip into a place at the counter.
Her heart sinks a little when she walks in and spots the wall of people perched on the stools she'd been hoping to grab. The hostess smiles sympathetically when she sees Caroline. Her name's April and she's a gem, soft spoken but ruthlessly efficient – something Caroline respects. "Bad day?" she asks.
Caroline sighs, slumps slightly, her spine twinging in protest. She's been tense all day and now that she's surrounded by amazing smells – bacon and syrup and a hint of bitter coffee - her stomach's growling. "Bad day, bad weekend. Any idea how long the wait will be?"
April looks down, brows furrowing as she puzzles over the seating chart. She turns from Caroline, rising up on her tiptoes to scan the restaurant. "You know what? Give me one second."
She's gone before Caroline can reply, slipping deftly between tables and through clumps of people until she's out of sight. Caroline drums her fingers on the hostesses station, considers getting her order to go. Her food won't be quite as good once she's gotten back to her apartment but maybe she's now doomed to dissatisfaction and regrettable decisions.
April returns before Caroline can dwell any further on that bit of depressingness her brain had cooked up. April's smiling and Caroline straightens, a tiny bit of hope kindling. She's due for a turn of her luck, isn't she?
"Okay, so. Slightly unconventional solution. A guy showed up about ten minutes ago, nabbed the last two-top. He's a regular, a recent one, a good tipper. Kind of particular about his order, gets a little ornery when small children start wailing but he's friendly enough."
Caroline has no idea where this is going and she tries not to urge April to get to the point. Being snippy isn't going to get a plate of comfort food in front of her any faster. "Okay?"
"I asked if he'd mind if someone shared his table. He seems a little preoccupied today so I figured he won't be up for small talk. And bonus, he's really nice to look at. Like, distractingly so."
Caroline hesitates, so not in the mood for company. Or another hot guy, if she's being honest. The last one's proving to be annoyingly hard to shake.
"Excuse me," a voice calls from behind and Caroline steps forward automatically as a waiter squeezes by, a heavy tray balanced expertly. Her eyes linger on the food.
When Caroline turns back around April's got a menu tucked under her arm. She grins, tips her head to the left, "Come on. It's right this way."
"Hi, thank you so…"
Words fail her. Something that's never happened in all of Caroline's twenty-seven years.
Klaus the bartender seems just as shell shocked to find her sitting across from him, his eyes wide and his cup frozen halfway between the table and his mouth.
What are the freaking odds?
The guy who'd graciously agreed to let her share his table had been seated with his back to the restaurant, Caroline had noted that his hair was a bit of a mess, dark blonde and curling at the ends, that his shirt was a plain grey. No bells had rung but then she hadn't really spent much time looking at Klaus from behind.
She'd caught a glimpse after the first round, when he'd left the bed to dispose of the condom and grab them some water. He'd been naked though, and unashamed about it. Caroline had been distracted.
Klaus recovers first, setting his cup down carefully, his hand lingering around the rim as he twists it. He glances quickly at April, who's set down Caroline's menu and is watching them curiously. "It's not a problem. May I ask your name, love?"
Caroline's eyes narrow instinctively – had he forgotten her name?! Super insulting but if that's the case she's going to be able to stop second guessing her decision to leave his place without waking him real quick.
It's the teeniest silver lining but Caroline will take what she can get.
"Caroline. And thank you, is what I meant to say."
"Not a problem," he murmurs, his head dipping until his eyes focus on the menu in front of him.
"What can I get you to drink, Caroline?" April asks. She tips her head in Klaus' direction when Caroline meets her eyes, her eyebrows rising and falling suggestively.
Why does everyone seem to think she needs help in this department?
"Hot chocolate please. With whipped cream." It's a shame this place isn't licensed, she could really go with a heavy pour of bourbon in her drink.
April scribbles on her pad, smiles brightly. "Be back in a couple of minutes!"
She bustles away and Caroline busies herself with unbuttoning her jacket, unwinding her scarf. Tucking her purse under the table, between her feet. She draws the process out as long as she can, for far longer than is reasonable, and sneaks a glance at Klaus when she's done.
Only to find him watching her, a challenge in his expression. "Come here often?" he asks, blandly polite as if they are, in fact, strangers.
It's annoying.
Caroline takes a sip of her water, decides to at least attempt to diffuse the tension. "So, this is awkward. I'll acknowledge it."
The noise Klaus makes is too close to a scoff to be amusement. "Will you? Funny, I'd have guessed you'd avoid the issue entirely. I'm surprised you're still here. Is running away only a weekend habit?"
Oh boy. Blandly polite had not lasted long. His eyes are sharp, focused, his mouth set stubbornly once he's finished speaking. Klaus is pissed.
It's terrible but Caroline's kind of glad.
"I'm pleased to hear that Caroline is, in fact, your name. I've been wondering."
"Yep, that's me. Caroline. Caroline Forbes, you can google me if you want. I didn't tell you any lies on Saturday."
It's clear Klaus doesn't believe her.
He shifts back in his chair, an arm coming up to rest on the table. His sleeve is pushed up and Caroline avoids looking at his forearm, her fingers curling into a fist in her lap as a vivid memory returns. Their last time had been lazy, Klaus pressed up behind her as they both woke, easing inside of her gently, with a contented sigh into her hair. He'd curved an arm underneath Caroline, between her thighs, rubbed and teased as his movements inside of her had grown jerky. He'd come first but Caroline hadn't minded, not when he'd been so determined to get her there too. She'd dug her nails in when it had hit her, turned her face into his pillows to muffle her moans.
She wonders if the marks are still visible on his skin.
"Will you tell me the truth if I ask you why you left?"
Caroline sucks in a breath, shocked that he's being so direct. Maybe she shouldn't be. He'd asked her plenty of questions over the hours they'd spent together. Mundane getting to know you things. More intimate inquiries, later. He'd urged her to tell him what felt good, what she liked, his voice rough and his accent thick.
Her honesty had been richly rewarded. Repeatedly.
Caroline figures there's no harm in seeing if that trend continues, "I felt like I was supposed to. I was in the hallway outside of your apartment when I realized I didn't want to."
She watches him absorb her answer, even if it kind of kills her. He relaxes slowly, his mouth curling into a smile that's far more inviting than the anger tinged blankness he's been giving her. He makes her wait, leisurely takes another sip of his drink. Caroline refuses to fidget.
"Interesting," Klaus finally drawls. His chair scrapes across the tiles as he moves closer, his knees pressing lightly against hers under the table.
She wants to laugh in relief. She steals his cup, wrinkling her nose when she finds tea, not coffee. Drinks some anyway, because it's just not in her to back down. "Just interesting?" The questions comes out flirty, probably excessively so, considering they're in a family establishment.
Oh well. Caroline's day is looking way up, she'd going to roll with it.
"Promising," Klaus amends, a familiar heat creeping into his gaze. He's looked at her the same way Saturday night, right around the time Caroline had stopped paying attention to anyone else in the bar.
April appears at their table, plunking Caroline's oversized mug down and beginning to rattle off the specials. April doesn't notice Klaus' slightly peeved glare, thankfully. Caroline nudges him sharply with her knee, shaking her head reprovingly. The poor girl really doesn't deserve any ire. She's just doing her job.
Besides, April's solely responsible for this promising turn of events. Caroline will have to figure out a way to thank her.
Extra Note: FYI, if any one is interested, I've planned to start an original project on ! Though I will 100% still be writing KC!
I'm using one of my very favourite fanfic tropes (Tattoo Artist meets Florist!) and there will be audience participation elements. For example, right now there's a poll to see if people want the hero or the heroine to be the florist in this scenario. The is called Stories By Laine or you can stop by my tumblr or twitter (lalainajanes) for info!