Hey, guys! I know I haven't updated "Eternal Flame" in AGES (the last time being February 8), but my life has been hectic and inspiration has been hard to come by. But, I got an idea and I wanted to share.

So many times
Said it was forever
Said our love would always be true
Something in my heart always knew
I'd be lying here beside you
On my own
On my own
On my own

The smell of fresh hay met her nose as Caroline walked into the stable. It was one of her favorite scents in the world, ever since she had started riding at the age of nine. This was no ordinary stable, this was where the participants of the annual Mystic Falls Equestrian Competition brought their horses. She had dreamed of competing in this event and she had just met the age requirement. True, she had competed in other riding contests growing up, but this was at the professional level.

Caroline saw this as a chance not only prove herself as a rider, but also to show off her Palominio mare, Persephone, whom she had been working with since rescuing her as a foal three years earlier. Persephone's previous owner had gotten rid of her because she was smaller than the other foals and he felt she would never amount to anything. Thankfully, Caroline and her mother had seen potential in the little darling and had given her a home.

Now that Persephone was old enough to compete in her first competition, Caroline was looking forward to seeing what her horse could do. Once she found a suitable stall, she placed the mare inside and brushed her down, admiring the silkiness of her coat.

"You're going to really wow them, Sephie," she said. "Together, you and I will win this competition."

"I wouldn't be too cocky if I were you, love."

A soft British accent startled her and Caroline turned to see a young man standing there. He had short, slightly curly dark blonde hair and greenish blue eyes that a woman would have to be blind and stupid not to notice, as well as a body that was ideal for passionate, wild sex, and lips that were begging to kissed and nibbled. If Caroline wasn't so startled by him, she would have been tickled pink at the sight of him.

"Excuse me, but who are you?"

"Forgive me, I forgot my manners. I am Klaus Mikaelson."

Caroline gasped at the mention of his name. "Wait, the Klaus Mikaelson?"

"I'm the only Klaus Mikaelson here, so yes," he said. "I take it you've heard of me?"

"Your reputation precedes you," said Caroline. "Now, you were saying I shouldn't get too cocky. Why would you go out of your way to tell me something like that?"

Klaus chuckled. "I was simply warning you. I plan on winning on this competition. My horse, Hades, has won every contest he's ever been in, and I guarantee that he'll do the same here." He looked at Persephone. "And maybe I can persuade you into breeding that mare of yours with him. What a fine bloodline they'd create. Their foals would be champions."

Caroline didn't like his tone. No, scratch that, she hated his tone. "Well, Klaus, Persephone isn't here to be bred. She's here for her first official competition. She wasn't really given much of a chance early in life and winning this competition will help boost her confidence."

Klaus said nothing at first, just listened to her speak. He took the opportunity to look at her. Her blonde hair was beautiful enough to rival the summer sun, her blue eyes shone like diamonds, and she had a body that he'd love to caress as they made love in his bed, and her lips were perfect for someone like him to kiss and nibble. He slowly crept into the stall and grabbed Caroline by the arms, chuckling as he felt her squirm in his grasp, pulling her close to him and kissing her. Caroline wasn't sure why he was doing this, but reluctantly closed her eyes, allowing herself to return the kiss. Klaus stepped back after a few minutes, bringing his hand up to caress her cheek.

"I look forward to seeing you in the competition, Caroline," he said softly. "May the best horse win."

Before Caroline could respond, he released her and walked out of the stall. For a few minutes after he left, she was completely baffled by what had just transpired. One minute, she and Klaus were having a somewhat heated discussion and the next, they were kissing like lovers.

This is just too weird, she thought. I definitely didn't expect any of that to happen.

She was jostled out of her thoughts by Persephone, who nudged her with her nose, earning her a smile. "Thank you, Sephie, I needed to be brought back to reality." She stroked the mare's muzzle. "Well, we're not going to let Klaus What's-His-Name and that stallion of his spoil this for us, are we? We'll show them a thing or two. We've come too far to be beaten. Before this competition is over, they're the ones that are going to be beaten."

Note: This is a preview of a new Klaroline AU/AH I hope to write soon. It deals with Klaus and Caroline being rivals in a riding competition. Then, as time goes on, their rivalry turns into romance. Enjoy the update and stay tuned!