Disclaimer: Don't own an inch of it. You'll know that, given the complete fail of character consistency in 4x16.
"Give Me Love" by Ed Sheeran - We'll play hide and seek to turn this round; all I want is the taste that your lips allow
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Caroline pressed the 'off 'button with more force than was strictly necessary. Her phone was the unfortunate victim of aggression that had been building inside her, as she endured the hardest week of her life.
She had to witness her Father wither and die in front of her eyes, and she couldn't do anything to stop it. There was a constant, dull ache in her chest, and all she wanted was Tyler. She needed to be enveloped in his strong arms, so that just for a moment she could be taken away from the raw pain that was slowly clawing at her. But, no, she could not have this escape. She loved and appreciated that he was somewhere in the Appalachian Mountains, trying to break the sire bond for their future, but the future was too distant. All she knew was the present. The painful, lonely, numbing present. A knock at the door ripped her from the flurry of sadness she had fallen into.
There was no one standing at the glass panel, so she approached slowly, readying herself for an attack. There was nothing, but an elegant cream box. Caroline walked it through to her bedroom, stretched out in front of her, handling it as though it was a bomb. She threw it on the bed, half tempted not to open it, because, really, who honestly does that? Random, mysterious gifts? Spying the card and some seriously elegant calligraphy, she opened the envelope. 'Cocktails and celebration' tonight? Caroline's inner teenager flailed, disturbed that neither her wardrobe nor the stores in Mystic Falls were prepared for such an occasion.
Wait a minute, who the hell are the Mikaelsons?
Caroline turned the card over in her hands, appreciating the feel of it. It was fancy. Beyond the cheesy canopied soirees at the Lockwood Mansion she'd grown accustomed to. Old school class. Her chest tightened as she spied the words etched on the back. Of course it was him.
Save me a dance, Fondly Klaus.
That was it? After having the Original Hybrid order her death, and then swoop into her save her at the last minute (in what can only be described as a charged moment) she hadn't heard a thing. She had received his confusing, yet beautiful, gift which had remained firmly in her drawer, but not another word. No one had discussed it at all. Liz had given her arm a loving squeeze the next morning, whilst Matt swept her into a bear hug, but that was all the acknowledgement the near death experience had received.
It was almost as if it had never happened.
Apart from the priceless bracelet and the string of promises buzzing in her head, that is. But now, this invitation had appeared on her doorstep, bringing the memories flooding back.
She threw the invitation on the bed with an exasperated, "Seriously?"
However, her interest was officially piqued. Her fingers danced along the edge of the box. His last gift was pure beauty, so this box held so much promise. Strengthening her resolve, because having a look couldn't really do any harm, she lifted the lid.
Wow.
She was greeted by layers and layer of beautiful blue tulle, the variety of shades blending and forming the skirt of the most striking ball gown she'd ever seen. The corset of the dress was embellished with intricate beading, accentuating the perfect shape, without being overbearing. It was the most perfect gown, fit for a princess.
She slammed the lid back down.
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"It's some twisted Cinderella fetish, is what it is" Caroline exclaimed, gripping her menu tightly. All the inanimate objects in her life were suffering her pent up aggression, "And why does the Evil Witch want an audience with you?"
"I have no idea" Elena sighed, "But there is only one way to find out"
Caroline couldn't help her sly grin, "I thought you told Damon and Stefan you weren't going?"
"I did. Which is all the more reason why I need a drama free bodyguard"
Caroline bit her lip. She really had decided not to go. Her plan was to stay home, load up on Cookie Dough and watch Dancing with the Stars. But, Elena needed her, and she already had an invitation, so it all made sense. She wouldn't wear the dress, though, despite how stunning it was. That would probably be some weird confirmation of acceptance in the twisted game she and Klaus were playing.
Not that she was playing a game, or doing anything with Klaus. Period.
"Well, I think a Salvatore would look a lot better in a tux. And by that, I mean Stefan"
"I can't deal with either of the Salvatores right now. Whatever Stefan's feeling, he's channelling it all against Klaus and Damon...he's just not a good idea"
Falling into the conversation that the pair seemed to be having continually over the last year - debating the merits of the Salvatore's - it was easy for Caroline to forget the dull pain she had experienced this morning. She missed her father, she missed Tyler, she just wished things could be simple. To see Tyler and be whole. That's all she needed.
That was until the rage began to swell in her chest. Rebekah smiled a smarmy smile as she invited Matt to the ball. What was it with the Original siblings? Were they determined to have a monopoly on all the Mystic Fall residents?
"What time is this stupid dance?"
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First her hair wouldn't curl into the style that she had perfected every day of her life. Then, even with with supernatural speed and agility, she poked herself in the eye with her mascara wand.
And now she had nothing to wear. Clearly the cosmos was entirely against this ball. Caroline groaned with disgust at the sight of a blue dress she had worn to Homecoming the year before. She had absolutely no idea what she was thinking when she bought that. It was sent along to the 'no' pile with the rest of the contents of her wardrobe.
The box, containing that beautiful dress, was calling to her. It was like a beacon on her bed, radiating the simple truth; she would look good in it. She bit her lip - wearing the dress was not a confirmation of anything, really. It was just a dress. She could wear her hair up too, and that would sort her predicament. She also had a pair of white gloves from the last extravaganza the town had held, and she highly doubted she would have another occasion.
Caroline began to reel off all the accessories she would have the opportunity to wear with this dress - those new heels she bought a few weeks ago, her favorite earrings, the hairstyle she had been researching on the internet. Yes, her mind was officially made up.
The cosmos clearly liked this new decision. Her hair was perfect within a matter of minutes, she had no more mishaps with her make up and she was ready earlier than she had planned for.
She smoothed the dress, admiring the way it fit perfectly to her form. She decided to put the worrying thought that Klaus had been studying her measurements firmly to the back of her mind. But, just as the dress had called to her, she couldn't escape the niggling thought that the bracelet would look fantastic teamed with the gown.
It was stunning. And it was meant to be worn. It's not as if anyone would be staring at her wrist. She paused, but then started to her beside cabinet, pulling out the little box. As she opened it, she could help but wonder if Pandora felt something akin to this.
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She had no idea why she was surprised by the sheer grandeur of the Mikaelson home. Of course it would be all gigantic doors, grand staircases and priceless artifacts. She had no idea why she expected anything else. As her shawl was slipped from her shoulders by one of the many waiters, she searched for the brunette who had dragged her here.
Starting into the next room to begin her search, she really couldn't rationalize as to why her breath caught and her heart started hammering when she realised he was gazing at her.
She looked stunning. She was an absolute angel, her golden curls framing her face, a calm beauty radiating from her. There was something primal that growled in his chest when he saw that she was wearing his dress. The dress he had chosen, just for her.
Brushing past some former Miss Mystic Falls who felt it necessary to stroke his arm at every opportunity, he headed toward her.
Caroline paused, steeling herself for the night ahead. She begged herself not to stare, reminding herself that although his tails molded perfectly to his lean form, that his eyes never looked bluer, that his waves were perfectly placed and that his stubble was incredibly inviting, he was still, in fact, Klaus.
Klaus the Original Hybrid Puppet Master.
"Good evening"
His voice was like silk, warm and inviting, making it incredibly hard to remember anything her mind had frantically said in the last two minutes.
"I need a drink"
Caroline marched past him, wringing her hands. This was not a good idea. Especially when she could feel his eyes burning her back.
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"And now I'd like to begin the evening with a centuries old waltz. So if you'd all like to find yourselves a partner, and join us in the ballroom..."
Caroline had been interchanging between staring at the elder Mikaelson and playing with the clasp on her bracelet. Essentially, she was doing everything possible to avoid eye contact with the Hybrid that was currently lounging on the staircase, exuding that raw confidence he did so well.
Within a few seconds of descending the steps, he was in front of her, his hand extended.
"Come to collect?" Caroline snipped.
"Caroline" Klaus smoldered, ignoring her comment and tilting his head, "May I have this dance?"
Caroline blushed, feeling incredibly immature. Even Klaus' vampiric hearing struggled to hear her hushed reply, "Yes"
He led her to the dance floor, one hand placed at the small of her back. She wanted to pull away, to scoff at the fact that he was steering her. She wanted to turn and tell him that she was a strong, independent female who didn't require chauvinistic guidance. That was what she wanted to tell him. However, the small, tired, hurt and grieving part of her enjoyed that someone was taking charge, that someone was guiding her.
So she let him.
She placed her palms in his, staring ahead and doing her best to ignore the warmth his touch was producing. He just had warm hands.
She was avoiding eye contact with him, much like she did whenever they interacted, despite the fact that he could only stare at her. When his mother had suggested he invite a date, his mind had immediately leapt to the baby Vampire who had been captivating his thoughts. All he could think of since that night was the way her eyes lit up as he promised her the world, the feel of her in his arms, the sigh as she bit into his skin. He had never been unsure of a woman before now. There was part of him that was against inviting her; no woman had ever refused him. He did not want her to be the first.
And yet, here she was.
As the music began, she took a deep breath, as though readying herself to dive into the depths. He gave her hands a reassuring squeeze and her eyes flickered towards him, a small smile playing across her lips. She whipped her head back to stare in front of them, continuing her goal of not looking directly at him. As they began to step forward, he listened to her heart with interest. It wasn't hammering as it did on any other time they had interacted; it was beating fast, but then it would occasionally skip. She wasn't afraid of him, not really. The thought that someone wasn't afraid of him had never made him smile before.
She turned under his arm, and reluctantly placed her hand on his shoulder. Her eyes met his, and she had never felt so uneasy. The last time - the only time - they had been this close was the night of her birthday. Suddenly, being so close to his lips seemed too intimate, even if he was maintaining a gentlemanly distance.
"I'm glad you came" His cool eyes were anything but. They were burning into her skin.
Deciding that nonchalance was her best tactic with him, she sighed, "Yeah. Well. It was either caviar or sympathy casseroles"
"I heard about your father" Klaus admitted, his tone gentle.
Her eyes flashed, "Don't. Seriously" The needling pain she had put to the back of her mind rushed at her. She tensed, feeling awful. All she wanted was to curl up on the couch and drown herself in ice cream.
Klaus could feel her tense in his arms, and so they fell into an amiable silence. She tried to push her grief to the back of her mind, and concentrate on the here and now. Elena was caught in her (currently ironic) perpetual waltz with the Salvatore brothers. Matt was laughing, and Rebekah was smiling. That was disconcerting. And Mayor Lockwood was casting a stony glare over her kind-of-daughter-in-law and her son's Sire.
She turned away from the disapproving glare and back to Klaus, and his soft, almost surprised gaze. He shouldn't look at her like that. It made her feel special, admired. He shouldn't make her feel like that.
He saw the buzz of her various emotions cloud her azure eyes, but then she relaxed again, her back losing its tension and her hand relaxing on his shoulder.
He dimpled a grin, "Very well. Onto more mannered subjects, like how ravishing you look in that dress"
Finding it extremely difficult to look witheringly at him when his tongue rolled around the word ravishing that way, she scoffed, "Yeah, well, I didn't exactly have time to shop"
His sparkling eyes caught the reflection of the jewelry hanging from her wrist, "And the bracelet I gave you, what's your excuse for wearing that?"
Shit.
He smiled, enjoying the way her cheeks instantly warmed. She opened her mouth to reply, a witty remark failing to come to her brain. Silence. That seemed the best option.
"You know, you're quite the dancer" he remarked, his voice sounding amused and slightly surprised.
That riled Caroline. Was he under the illusion that she couldn't dance, simply because she wasn't British, probably somehow related to the Queen (God, did Rebekah act like that was true) or a billion? No. She wasn't standing for that, "Well, I've had training. I happen to be Miss Mystic Falls"
"I know"
His voice had never sounded so deep, so silky, so alluring. When had she started to think of him as alluring?She stuttered a strangled, "Good" and prayed for the dance to finish soon. He was acting too suave tonight. It was making her unsure of herself. That was the only reason she felt slightly sad as she pulled away from his embrace, his hands trailing along her arms. As she readied herself to turn into the next step, he paused her movement, gazing her in a way that was entirely familiar and incredibly disconcerting.
Before she could ponder the strange sense of deja vu, she was twirled into the friendly, comforting embrace of Matt, "Hey, Caroline!"
"Don't you 'Hey Caroline!' me, Matthew Donovan!" Caroline scolded.
"Why are you full naming me?" Matt exclaimed, causing her to feel guilty. He looked like a confused puppy who had been swatted on the nose.
"Why are you here with she-devil?"
"What was I supposed to say, no?" Matt's eyes narrowed, "And what are you doing here with Klaus?"
"Don't get me started" Caroline sighed, not enjoying the detour her scolding had taken.
"C'mon Care. What would Tyler say?"
"I imagine Tyler would say, "Why are we at this stupid ball Care?'" Caroline burst, imitating a deeper male voice, "And I'd say, 'Wow, Tyler, you've abandoned me in my hour of need. My Dad is dead, and just for once I want to be normal and dress up in a fabulous gown and wear freaking diamonds and not have to worry about what my quasi-boyfriend would make of the situation and just enjoy myself'. That's what I would say. But he isn't here to have that conversation. So I'll ask you. Is that too much to ask for Matt? Is it? Is it?"
Matt's eyes widened in fear of her speech, and in surprise that she got that sentence out without taking a breath, "Oh...um, well, to be honest, I'm not sure what the question was. But, if it's whether you deserve to have a fun night, you absolutely do"
Dear, sweet, adorable Matt. Caroline burst into peals of giggles at the combination of his confused expression and answer, the tense pressure on her chest immediately lightening.
"You look really pretty, Care" Matt added with a grin.
"You look quite dapper yourself, if I may say so"
"You may"
Caroline smiled. It was so easy to fall into this gentle, friendly pattern with Matt, "Look, I know we were technically invited by other people, but how would you feel about being my sort-of-date? You know, my partner in this crazy party?"
"Are you kidding?" Matt whispered, "I'm so outnumbered here, I'd love some Vampire backup. One of Bekah's brothers keeps looking at me like I'm lunch"
"I'll protect you" Caroline laughed, her eye line falling to Rebekah, who was glowering at her from Damon's arms, "I'll just have to make sure your date doesn't rip my hair out"
"She's a really nice girl" Matt tutted, "If anyone should be afraid of scary dates, it's me with him"
Caroline followed his tilted head to Klaus' position on the dance floor. He had been reacquainted with the Miss Mystic Falls (of ten years ago) with whom he'd been chatting with when Caroline arrived. She was clearly relishing the moment, pressing her body firmly against him. Caroline raised her eyebrows - so unladylike.
"He's really not my date" she sing-songed, ignoring the pang of jealously that had inexplicably flared.
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Caroline was eyeing the vase that was clearly a centre piece. It looked antique, which of course it was, but not an heirloom as the Mikaelson's no doubt would insinuate. Klaus probably drained the owner dry before pilfering the loot. Rolling her eyes, she turned to look for Matt who was supposed to be getting them drinks. Instead, she found one blonde, irate Original,
"Seriously, Caroline? Do you have such little class that you steal my date, at the party?" Rebekah glowered, her arms crossed.
"Wow, Rebekah" Caroline bit out, assuming her warring stance of hands on her hips, "At first I thought green suited you, but this? Not so much"
"Why do you hate me so much?"
"You tried to steal my boyfriend!" Caroline burst.
"Matt is not your boyfriend" Rebekah informed her with cool glare.
"Not Matt!" Caroline argued, a look of disbelief on her face, "Tyler!"
Rebekah raised an eyebrow, her face mildly surprised by Caroline's assertion, "I'm not interested in Tyler. He was just an amusement"
"And you wonder why people don't like you" Caroline scoffed, with a shake of her head.
"So you're not interested in Matt?" Rebekah clarified slowly.
"No!" Caroline snorted. At the sight of Rebekah's winning smile at this piece of information, she almost felt guilty for her 'she-devil' comment. Maybe she really did like Matt.
"Good. Especially as you're here with my brother"
And then that small feeling of companionship dissolved. "I am not having this conversation again" Caroline exclaimed, turning to the front doors. First Matt, now Rebekah. Never mind the inner war her thoughts were having. After retrieving her shawl, she headed out into the cool night air for some refuge. She wandered along slowly, following the path of little white fairy lights, musing about what had led her here.
Ever since she had been dragged into the war between Wolves and Vampires, kicking and screaming by Jules, her life had never been the same. She had no idea why that particular night stood out to her as a turning point - surely it should naturally be her transformation? - but it did. She was pulled out of her thoughts by the sound of a horse gently whining.
She rounded the corner, and there stood one of the most majestic creatures she had ever seen. It was a deep, chocolate brown, with a light honey mane and tail. She smiled, remembering all the times she had begged, no pleaded, for a pony. Her Dad would hold her close and whisper of how, when he won the lottery, he would buy her a thousand ponies. But, for now, the toy horses he brought home after every business trip would have to do. The night he left them for Steven, she had gathered her twenty four dolls up and dumped them in the trash without hesitation.
Oh, how she wished she had them again. Just to see them, one more time.
"You like horses?"
Caroline sighed. Of course she wouldn't be left to just to think. She didn't even know why she bothered. All of a sudden, the night of just forgetting and enjoying herself had stopped. She had enough of being a puppet for Damon, a pawn for Katherine. She was not about to be suckered into to yet another twisted mind game by an aged Vampire, "I'm not talking to you until you tell me why you invited me here"
"I fancy you"
I fancy you.
I fancy you.
I fancy you.
It took Caroline longer than what was socially acceptable to register those three little words. The first thing that baffled her was his frankness. She really didn't expect him to answer her with a motivation. Which led her to the conclusion that this was a lie. Because, really, a thousand year old super being fancying a seventeen year old cheerleader? Really? Please. That was the stuff of dreary romance novels and pathetic teenage fantasies. She had given up on those a long time ago. Vampirism had sucked the life out of those childish dreams.
A smile danced across Klaus lips as her eyes narrowed. Caroline's mouth had fallen open into a comically surprised look at his announcement. How could she think anything else? Ever since her birthday, all she'd done was plague his thoughts, his serene enigma, wrapped in the beautiful shell of an angel, "Is that so hard to believe?"
Caroline spluttered, a laugh dying in her throat, "Yes"
Klaus licked his lips, and began, his tone as if he was explaining something that was incredibly simple and should have been obvious, "Why? You're beautiful, you're, you're strong, you're full of light" Something in his words seemed to touch her, and she began to blink furiously, before shaking her head slightly. "I enjoy you" he added as a clarification.
How had he managed to pick similar words to those uttered by her father as he stood, ready to die? You're strong, you're beautiful, you're good. It wasn't true, no matter how many times her father or Klaus said it. How could she be good or strong when all she wanted to be taken into a comforting embrace by someone, by anyone, by Klaus. She needed something to keep her tethered to the Earth, to keep her from floating away. It should be Tyler, but he wasn't here.
Tyler.
"Yeah, well" Caroline sighed nonchalantly, "I'm already spoken for. By Tyler"
Klaus couldn't help but smile. Did she not realize he knew about their break up and that he'd run off, in a pitiful attempt to protect her? "I thought you two ended things"
"Yeah, because of you and your freaky sire-bond with him" Caroline snapped.
"So you aren't spoken for?" Klaus clarified, doing a terrible attempt at hiding his smile.
Caroline's loud cross between a disgusted scoff and an irritated throat clearance was far from ladylike, but entirely necessary. If she didn't think he could crush her fist in a second, she would've punched him square in the face.
He licked his lips, turning to the horse she was staring at, "Y'know, horses are the opposite of people. They're loyal" For some reason, the small sad smile Klaus accompanied with the statement - as though loyalty was ironic - made her sadder than it should.
His face transformed, slipping from the usual cocky mask he wore. He looked different yet familiar, somehow, as he confessed, "My father hunted me across the centuries, and the closest he ever came was the day he killed my favorite horse. He severed it's neck, with a sword, as a warning"
Caroline paused. She shouldn't feel sympathy for him, yet she knew. She understood. Her parents had both reacted with disgust and horror at her transformation into a creature of the night, yet she had the luxury of them accepting her. She hand't been subjected to persecution to centuries, "Did you ever consider sitting down with your father and talking it out?"
Klaus shot one last sad look at the horse in front of them, "I'm afraid my relationship with my father was little more complex than you with yours"
Caroline nodded, agreeing with that. But, both there father's were dead, and she was the only one of the pair who was able to honestly say she missed her Dad. Leave it to the Big Bad Wolf to make her realize that although her father chose to leave her, it didn't mean he loved her any less. He accepted her, he loved her. He didn't hunt her to the ends of the Earth, "Maybe so. But I let my father go with no regrets"
Klaus' face betrayed something of regret. Caroline had found peace with her father, yet Klaus knew he would be fighting a battle with Mikael in his mind for eternity.
"And to answer your question - yes, I like horses" Caroline continued, wanting to escape the conflicting emotions that had enveloped her following Klaus' teasing over Tyler and his sad story, "But I also like people, and they actually like me. So, I'll be inside"
Klaus watched her retreating figure, puzzled. How had she understood him, and even shown caring? Everything about her was a contradiction, an impossibility.
It was wonderful
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Caroline made her way back into the crowded ballroom. Rebekah and Matt were waltzing and, despite her best efforts, she had to admit they looked adorable. It had been too long since she'd Matt truly smiling and Rebekah had never looked so... well, normal.
"And who are you?"
Caroline turned to face a dangerously handsome young man, as he leant on the marble pillar closest to her. His eyes gleamed as they raked over her figure, a seductive smirk dancing across his features. If his accent didn't give him away, his dark eyes and dark hair certainly did. That, and the overwhelming Mikaelson 'devil-may-care' attitude was on full display. The Elijah look-a-like stepped forward, extending his hand, "Kol Mikaelson"
"Hi" Caroline answered with a tight smile, hoping he would get the hint from her guarded posture.
"And you are?" Kol kept his hand extended, daring her to take it.
"Not interested" Caroline replied slowly. It was abundantly clear what he had on his mind, and no matter how good looking he was, she was so not equipped to deal with yet another pestering Mikaelson sibling tonight.
He placed the hand she had ignored to his chest in mock hurt, "You wound me, darling"
Caroline rolled her eyes, "Still not interested"
"You're a sassy little Vampire, aren't you?"
Caroline looked around them frantically, trying to see whether anyone had heard this rather loud admission, hissing "Do you mind keeping your voice down?"
Kol repeated her movements in an exaggerated manner, and then scoffed, "I'll just rip their throats out"
"Charming"
"I've never pretended to be anything else"
Caroline rolled her eyes again, smiling a little. It was quite fun to talk to him, in a I'm-a-sociopath-who-quite-enjoys-flirting kind of way, "It was sarcasm"
"I prefer witches, anyway" he added.
"Then why don't you find one and leave me alone?"
"I didn't say I was opposed to a dalliance with a baby Vampire" Kol replied lowly, stepping towards her.
Caroline put a hand on his chest to stop his advance, "So. Not. Interested"
"Come on sweetheart, show me some of that small-town charm" Kol smiled, playing with the fabric of her skirt, as if to pull her away to a dark recess of the mansion.
"I'll show you something, but it certainly won't be charm" Caroline smiled silkily, pushing his hands from her, trying to twist his fingers for good measure.
He advanced again, and his age told against her as she stepped back in surprise at his speed. Her heart had quickened it's pace, though she wasn't frightened, as such. For some crazy reason, despite the fact that this Original Vampire seemed intent on having her, she wasn't afraid. It was like an extra sense - maybe being round Bonnie had meant her clairvoyance had rubbed off on her.
"Kol"
Klaus' voice was deep, warning laced through his growl. This was the second time tonight he had surprised her so much that her mouth had fallen into a comical 'O'. He was standing by her left side, his body positioned slightly in front her, a shield between the lustful Original and the young Vampire. It was then that Caroline realized she had taken an unconscious step toward him.
"Brother" Kol greeted, his dark eyes dancing mischievously as he watched Caroline edge closer to Klaus.
"That's enough" Klaus warned, his hard eyes trained on his brother.
"Very well" Kol grinned, reaching forward to grasp Caroline's right hand. Caroline's left hand flew to Klaus' arm, her hand gripping his bicep in surprise as Kol placed a kiss on her knuckles, his eyes trained on Klaus.
Klaus watched him closely, his jaw twitching, a low growl sounding from his chest. Kol backed away, a wide smile splitting his face, "Careful Nik, your wolf is showing"
Caroline had no idea why her stomach was filled with nervous butterflies. Releasing her grip on his arm, she flushed hotly. She patted the spot where her nails had dug into the expensive fabric, with a mumbled apology. Putting her nerves down to the mention of wolves, her natural enemy, she turned to fully face him, "So, that's your brother?"
"That is my little brother" Klaus agreed, his eyes still trained on the spot where Kol had stood, his face still fixed in his I'm-a-seriously-pissed-off-Hybrid-face.
"I could of handled him, myself, y'know" Caroline added, watching his eyes carefully. She was feeling a bit paranoid after the wolf-drop, and was looking for even a hint of gold flecked amongst gunmetal blue tones.
"The traditional response from a lady is, 'Thank you, kind Sir, for protecting my honor'" Klaus advised, as he finally turned to face her.
"You find me a Kind Sir, and I will" Caroline countered with a smile.
The look of surprise on his face was beautiful. He smiled a soft smile, and she found herself lost in his eyes, this time not searching for anything, and still yearning for an answer. The way he looked at her, it wasn't right. It was not how the villain was supposed to. Just as she closed her eyes to escape, Esther's voice rang out, snapping her completely from her Klaus induced trance,
"Good evening ladies and gentlemen. Waiters are coming round with champagne, and I invite you all to join me in raising a glass. It provides me with no greater joy than to see my family back together, as one. I'd like to thank you all for being part of this spectacular evening."
Klaus selected two glasses off the nearest tray, and with a smile, handed a flute to her. She returned it, gripping the stem slightly, wondering why she was so nervous as Esther raised her glass with a smile, "Cheers"
Everyone in the room copied her movements, and sipped their champagne. Caroline followed suit, watching as Klaus seemed to communicate a secret message with Elijah. Probably cooking up some Original plot. Sighing, she took a large swig of champagne, the combination of the expensive liquid and bubbles going to straight to her brain. That was the only possible explanation for the fact that when Klaus turned to her and asked if he could show her something upstairs, she said yes.
Reciting 'this is a bad idea' in her head over and over, Caroline was led down dark corridor after dark corridor, further away from the crowd. Further from help. Finally, they entered darkly lit room, full of stunning artwork and priceless artifacts, "So... what did you want to show me?"
"One of my passions" Klaus replied, and Caroline sucked in a breath. His voice was so...passionate.
"Impressive" Caroline remarked, surveying the landscape that hung on the wall in front of them, "I take it the curators at the Louvre aren't on vervain?"
He looked down, smiling, "Yeah, well, that's their mistake"
Rolling her eyes at his arrogance, the sparkling diamonds against the white satin of her glove caught her eye. She offered her wrist to him, "What about these? Where'd you steal this from?"
"Well, that's a long story" he replied, smiling at Caroline's raised eyebrows, "But rest assured, it was worn by a princess almost as beautiful as you"
Caroline rolled her eyes. Cheesy pick up lines? Seriously? Looking down with a shake of her head, she looked at the artwork properly. The sketches on the table were in pencil, roughly done and not complete. In fact, most of the pictures lying in front of her weren't complete, "Wait a second. Did... did you do these?"
"Yeah" Klaus replied, not meeting her eyes. The artwork was so beautiful, she couldn't help but she shocked that the hands that regularly ripped out hearts had created such pieces, "Actually, one of my landscapes is hanging in the Hermitage, not that anyone would notice"
He eyed her as she continued to look at his drawings, her face soft, "Have you been?"
"I've never really been anywhere" Caroline confessed sadly, suddenly realizing just how upset she was by this fact.
"I'll take you. Wherever you want"
She turned to look at him, an incredulous look on her face, because, who does that? Drinks champagne with a girl and then offers to take her on a super romantic journey? Original Hybrids, apparently. Ugh. Caroline then scolded herself mentally, because no one had actually mentioned romance. Except her.
"Rome" Be serious.
"Paris" Oh, c'mon. What?
"Tokyo"
"Oh wow" Caroline spluttered, smiling at the sight of Klaus laughing along with her. She really hadn't expected the warm feeling that wrapped around her when she saw his grin.
She shouldn't be doing this. She shouldn't be getting along with him, not after everything he'd done. To Elena, to Stefan, to Tyler. She needed to put space between, re-establish their boundaries, "It must be really nice to just snap your fingers and get whatever you want"
When his smile faltered, her heart constricted, but she continued, "Is that why you collect Hybrids? Your own little servant army to take you places, and bring you things?"
She could see him literally shut down in front of her, every moment that they had shared, wiped from his eyes, "You're making assumptions"
"Then why do you need Tyler? Stop controlling him. Give him his life back"
"You know" Klaus bit out, "This has been a fun evening, but I think it's time for you to leave"
Caroline sighed, marveling at the fact that an entire mask had slipped down. She was questioning him, and everything that tonight had been - those little touches, the honesty, those looks - were gone. He was back to be the Hybrid, the puppeteer, "You're father didn't love you, so you assume no one else will either. That's why you compel people, or you sire them, or you try to buy them off" she hastily ripped the catch on the bracelet, dangling the diamonds to prove some sort of point before throwing them on the desk, next to his sketches, "But, that's not how it works. You don't connect with people, because you don't even try to understand them"
She turned away before he could even try to fight for her. This was the second time tonight she had left him, marooned him in his own thoughts. How, in one evening, had she seen past the defenses that he had put up over the past thousand years? The fact that worried him more was he liked it.
He liked that she could break down his walls.
It was wrong. It was twisted. It wasn't how he lived his life. It was not how the evening was supposed to go. His regard for her was supposed to pass after a night in her company. It was to mean nothing.
And yet, it hurt.
It hurt to look at the diamonds she had thrown at him. It was not an emotion he was accustomed to. She shouldn't make him feel like this, like the world had dimmed the moment she left the room. He was just supposed to appreciate her beauty, nothing more.
He appreciated everything - her beauty, her intelligence, her insight, her wit. Her honesty.
His fingers slowly skimmed his sketchpad, the realization slowly dawning on him. He cared for her. He genuinely cared for her.
She had made it clear that she could never reciprocate this, no matter how differently she saw him. But, at the back of mind he couldn't shake the image of her soft eyes.
She had looked at him with affection once, before. When they had first met.
He knew she had felt something for him, before he had compelled it away.
She had to remember him, what he could be. She had to remember Nik.
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Caroline slowly placed her phone down. Yet another message drifted into the ether, with no clue whether Tyler knew. Or whether he cared.
Pushing the thought from her mind, because he did care, she turned to see yet another black box sitting on her bed. Seriously? After what happened? Caroline muttered angrily, have to herself and half out loud. She was surprised to see paper inside instead of her bracelet - the bracelet - and she unrolled it, though she should've really just thrown it in the trash.
Yes, she should of most definitely thrown it in the trash.
Because it felt like something had melted inside her. It was beautiful. She looked beautiful. The feeling that he saw her like this, and needed to commit it to paper was indescribable.
She shouldn't have indescribable feelings towards him.
Thank you for your honesty
Her honesty. The thing that had continually got her in trouble as a human. Although she had gained some tact, she could see it in Elena's eyes when she didn't appreciate her truthful nature.
Klaus liked the one thing about her others didn't.
That was a complication she didn't need.
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Hi!
I'm sorry it's been such a gap! Hopefully a chapter 3 times the size of the last one makes up for it? And yes, I know, I already have another story named after this song, can't I be a bit more imaginative? Ed is Klaroline in 3x14, so how could I not?!
And I know this is quite a Forwood heavy chapter, but I'm trying to reflect her canon state of mind. Things are changing, though :)
Word of warning - I'm pretty bogged down with work, so an update won't be for a while (I'm sporadic anyway, but I thought I'd warn you) Things ease up after the hiatus ends, funnily enough, so I'll be back around then. Unless I'm too busy mopping up my shipper tears!
I'm going to come out and say it. I'm a technophobe. I do have Tumblr, and I'm working on it, so hopefully I'll start putting up hints/teasers there, like all the other much more talented authors. But as I said, I'm poor on the old technology front! I'm magically-muddled over there too :)
And I'm sorry for the ridiculous length of this note.
Thank you for reading, alerting, reviewing and favouriting. Reviews are motivators, so feel free, if you are so inclined.
Until next time,
LoveYouBye!x