A/N: I think this is the chapter many of you have been waiting for – just over 6 years since I started writing this.
I want to thank you all for reading and to livingdeadblondequeen for reviewing this chapter and helping me brainstorm ideas!
This doesn't always happen, but I had some musical inspiration for this chapter, if you're interested/curious:
Dive – Ed Sheeran
Simple Twist of Fate – Bob Dylan
Butterflies – Kacey Musgraves
Smells Like Teen Spirit – Daniel Johns (Nirvana Cover)
We Are Golden / Too many – Daniel Johns
Hope you enjoy the chapter! It's a long one, but if you have time to spare, I would love to hear from you : )
He propped up the phone on the kitchen table, out of the glare of the morning sun peering in the windows, so that Kol could see Grayson in his highchair.
Kol waved at Grayson. "Hey, dude," he greeted him, making a funny face in the process, causing Grayson to shriek in amusement.
"What are the paints for?" Kol wondered, spotting the small containers of colourful paints on the table.
He hesitated to answer Kol, knowing what his response might be.
"Grayson and I are going to do some painting before I leave," he answered vaguely.
"You're finishing the birthday gift you planned for Caroline, aren't you?" Kol concluded with a disapproving tone in his voice. "You sure do like to rub salt in your self-inflicted wounds, don't you Nik?" he mused.
He regretted having filled his brother in on the birthday gift idea, but he'd needed Bonnie's input. This was before the events at Stefan and Meredith's reception had transpired.
"It was always supposed to be a birthday gift to Caroline from Grayson," he said innocently. "Grayson isn't going to finish it himself, obviously, and so I want to finish it before I leave."
Kol gave him an incredulous shake of his head, struggling to bite his tongue from any verbal criticism he wished to share.
"What time does your flight arrive later?" Kol asked, choosing to change the topic of conversation.
"Just after six o'clock tonight," he answered, dreading the thought, realizing he still had yet to finish packing his things.
"Perhaps I'll swing by your place around eight then and we can grab a pint?" Kol offered sympathetically, suspecting that his return to New York would not be an easy trip.
He shook his head.
"I think I'd rather just sleep it off, mate," he explained to Kol, knowing that he would be in no mood for socializing upon his return.
Ideally, he envisioned returning to his empty apartment, unloading his luggage, indulging in a hot shower, some take-away, and whatever his liquor cabinet had to offer by himself before passing out for the night.
"Well, I think that's a terrible idea, Nik," Kol countered. "I know you. You're just going to sit around and brood all night. You might as well come out with me and brood over a pint to take your mind off of it."
He grumbled under his breath, annoyed by his younger brother's persistence.
"I'll be fine, Kol," he reassured him. "I want to be alone."
Kol rolled his eyes disapprovingly.
"Clearly," Kol scowled.
He arched his eyebrow questioningly. "What's that supposed to mean?" he asked, sensing a deeper meaning behind Kol's unfavourable response.
"Well, if you didn't want to be alone, you wouldn't have sabotaged your relationship with Caroline like a complete and utter idiot at Stefan and Meredith's reception," Kol said bluntly.
Now it was his turn to roll his eyes with a scoff.
"I don't want to talk about it," he said flatly, having refused to discuss this with Kol earlier in the week when Kol had inevitably found out what had happened from Bonnie, who had obviously been told by Caroline.
The look on Kol's face suggested that he was not going to take no for an answer.
"You're so stupid sometimes, Niklaus," Kol shook his head. "You really are your own worst enemy. You had her – she was right in front of you acknowledging that she still had feelings for you – all you've ever wanted – and you ruined it by throwing it back in her face. You fucked yourself!" Kol said frustratingly.
He glared at Kol.
"Sorry, you screwed yourself," Kol corrected, remembering that Grayson was present. "Regardless, I don't understand it. You did this to yourself. You have no reason to be upset about it."
He shrugged silently, not wanting to engage Kol in this conversation.
"Oh, get your head out of your arse and grow up, Nik!" Kol complained. "You're passing her up because you're afraid that you might get hurt as if it's an absolute certainty."
"It seems certain in the impossible circumstances," he sighed.
"Nothing is certain. It's equally possible that she could be the best thing that's ever happened to you. If it's worth it, then it's not impossible. You make it work. You figure it out. You didn't even give Caroline a chance to speak before you ran away with your tail between your legs," Kol chastised him.
He hated when Kol was right.
"The only thing that is certain is that you are miserable prick...er person," Kol corrected himself, "without her," he said harshly, but truthfully.
Again, he hated when Kol was right.
"And by the time you realize it, it will be too late," Kol concluded critically.
"Well, I'll have nobody to blame but myself, will I?" he spat. "And then you can tell me that you told me so."
Grayson started to stir in his highchair, seemingly agitated by the tense words he and Kol were exchanging with one another.
He exhaled, trying to calm himself as he rubbed Grayson's back reassuringly to settle him.
Kol shook his head disapprovingly, clearly disappointed by his response to his critical words of encouragement.
"I guess I'll see you at eight tonight then," Kol said, waving at the camera to Grayson before disconnecting their conversation.
He grumbled under his breath as he put his phone away.
"Your uncle Kol can be a real hard ass," he sighed, looking at Grayson guiltily when he realized the word that slipped his tongue.
Grayson shrieked with laughter, seemingly nodding in agreement.
He shook his head, laughing as he readied the edible paints for Grayson to mess his hands in to make the birthday card he had envisioned for Caroline.
"You think he's right?" he asked Grayson.
Grayson hummed in what sounded like agreement.
Kol was right. Caroline had reaffirmed her feelings for him and he'd allowed himself to succumb to his own feelings for her, and yet, in the same moment, he had sabotaged everything.
He had allowed his fears and insecurities to get the better of him, and since that night, he had allowed his pride and stubbornness to impede his ability to atone for his mistake.
Caroline, likely humiliated and hurt by his destructive behaviour had retreated even further from him than she had since their falling out in New York. Their small talk was limited to discussing Grayson's day to day routine and activities, and Caroline had worked late much of the week – something he suspected was intentional to keep her distance.
He tried talking to her on a few occasions, each time losing his nerve, deciding it was best to leave things as they were. He didn't want to make things worse.
It made him feel so vulnerable – these feelings that he had for her. They terrified him. He had always been so independent and self-assured. He never needed anyone until her. He had never been so afraid of losing anyone or being hurt until her. As a result, Caroline's rejection in New York had hit him hard and was echoing in his mind like a drum the night of Stefan and Meredith's reception.
Deep down, he suspected that his subconscious had always harboured the fears he had with Caroline, which would explain why he had always been on his own and kept his guard up with everyone.
"I know, I screwed it up with Cee-Cee for good," he admitted to Grayson and himself with a sigh, as he placed an oversized piece of paper in front of Grayson on his highchair tray. "I'm sorry," he apologized, feeling like he had let Grayson down in some way, as if Grayson was disappointed in him too.
Focusing on the task at hand, he sat down beside Grayson with a drawn out sigh, placing the oversized piece of paper in front of him on his highchair tray.
"Okay, Gray, ready to create your masterpiece?" he mused, holding the paper plate out in front of him so that he could have his choice of colour.
Grayson chose blue first, dipping his index and middle fingers in the paint.
"On the paper, Gray," he instructed, pointing towards the blank sheet of paper in front of him, encouraging him to touch the paper.
He watched Grayson glance between the sheet of paper and the paint on his fingers. Instead of placing his fingers on the page, Grayson stuck his fingers in his mouth.
Grayson looked at him guiltily, sensing that was not what he was supposed to do with the paint, even though it was edible.
He chuckled at Grayson, finding it impossible to be frustrated with him.
"Come on, mate, can you put some on the page for me?" he asked politely.
Removing his fingers from his mouth, Grayson pursed his lips, making a spitting sound in response.
"For Cee-Cee, maybe?" he asked, offering him the paints once more. "Her birthday is coming up," he said, as if Grayson could understand.
Grayson dipped his fingers in the red paint next and looked at them curiously, contemplating what to do next.
He smiled proudly when Grayson smushed his fingers against the paper in front of him, creating a purple streak across the page.
"I knew you liked her more than me," he teased Grayson, referring to Caroline. "Good job!" he said encouragingly, brushing his hand through Grayson's tufts of hair while he watched him continue painting.
His positive reinforcement seemed to motivate Grayson to continue painting with the paint as opposed to eating it. Grayson held his hand up for more paint, this time choosing yellow, placing spots of the colour on the paper excitedly.
He leaned against his hand with a sigh while he observed Grayson carefully, trying to take in as much of the moment as he could, knowing that in a few short hours he would be travelling back to New York, leaving Grayson behind.
While he knew that Grayson was in capable and loving hands with Caroline, it didn't make it any easier to leave him. Though he would see Grayson at Thanksgiving and Christmas, waiting that long seemed like an eternity when he thought about it long enough. Grayson would be a few months older and he knew that in that time there would be a lot he would miss.
He felt guilty, even though his intentions were in the right place. He needed to provide for Grayson, and this was the best way he knew how to.
Grayson took a break from painting to taste the edible paint on his fingers once more, humming to himself happily at the flavour before dipping his hands in the green on the paper plate palette that he offered to him.
With the green on his hands, Grayson reached up towards him, as if to offer him a taste of the paint on his fingers.
"I'm okay, mate, I'm good," he assured Grayson with a laugh. "On the paper," he said, pointing his own finger to the paper in front of him to encourage Grayson to continue painting
Disregarding his instructions, Grayson continued to stretch his hand out towards him.
"Daaaa," Grayson murmured. "Daaaa..ada," he shrieked.
He froze, unsure of what Grayson said, not wanting to assume what he was hearing.
"…aaaaddd," Grayson continued, still holding out his paint covered fingers towards his face, seemingly urging him to taste the paint.
Chewing his lip, he couldn't decide how to respond. This moment felt so painful and so affirming all at the same time.
He wanted to smile at Grayson's acknowledgement – thinking that much of him that he'd consider him 'dad' – but at the same time, he wanted to be sick with the feeling of betrayal.
Grayson was looking at him so sincerely and he sighed stressfully, knowing that this would be one of the many difficult moments he had yet to experience with Grayson as he grew up.
He empathized with Caroline, having been in this same situation herself not too long ago.
He felt guilty, like he was a part of dishonoring Elijah's memory as Grayson's father, even though he had never went out of his way to intentionally to replace Elijah or refer to himself as Grayson's dad. He was adamant that he would never be Elijah.
Yet, somehow, Grayson intuitively perceived him as 'dad' or 'dada'. It was innocent. Grayson didn't know any better. He couldn't know any better – he was robbed of that the night of Elijah and Elena's accident.
With that thought, he felt worse. Grayson had already lost Elijah and now he would be leaving for New York in a few short hours.
His eyes stung as they began to water.
Trying to ignore the negative emotions trying to get the better of him, he grabbed Grayson's wrist playfully, threatening to put his tiny hand in his mouth.
Grayson let out a guttural laugh in amusement.
"I'm gonna miss you, Gray," he said, kissing the side of Grayson's head, his voice cracking a little as the realization that he would be leaving soon and what that might mean began to sink in.
Despite what had happened to Elijah and Elena, and the position it had put him and Caroline in, he never thought that this would happen – that it would be possible for him to become so attached to this little person. It crept up on him and took him by surprise.
He never thought that this would happen, even after what happened to Elijah and Elena – that it was possible for him to grow so attached to this little person. It crept up on him and took him by surprise. He loved Grayson. Grayson was his and he would do anything in the world for him if he needed it.
"But, it's gonna be okay? You have Caroline here and I'll see you again before you know it," he said to Grayson, trying to reassure himself as much as he was trying to reassure Grayson. "You and I, we've got this," he tried to say confidently, knowing that it would be easier said than done.
Now, he understood the indescribable emotion Elijah talked of shortly after Grayson was born.
She ran into the café Carol had invited her to for a business brunch with her fall trench coat over her head to avoid the rain that had begun to pour, despite the sun that had been out moments prior to her arrival.
How fitting, she thought to herself as she spotted Carol seated at one of the bistro tables, wearing a fitted pant suit with a leather-covered brief in front of her, seemingly ready to discuss the Winter Wonderland charity event and tentative plans for next year's Miss Mystic Falls.
"Caroline, it's lovely to see you," Carol said, sporting an oversized fake smile as she stood to greet her.
She nodded in response apprehensively, eager to get their meeting over with as soon as possible.
Carol clasped her shoulders lightly as she kissed both cheeks.
"You look so great," Carol complimented her.
"So do you," she responded, knowing that her comment was done simply out of politeness.
She cringed at the artificialness of their exchange.
Carol sat down once more, and she followed suit reluctantly.
It felt like the two of them were walking on eggshells around each other, not wanting to delve too deeply into personal discussion for fear that Grayson would be mentioned, and by extension, Carol and Richard Lockwood's involvement in Mikael and Esther's case against her and Klaus for custody of Grayson.
"I'm sorry that we didn't get much of an opportunity to chat at Stefan and Meredith's reception," Carol apologized. "The reception dress you made for Meredith was stunning," Carol complimented,
None of Carol's compliments were ever free.
"Thank you," she replied, again out of forced politeness.
"I was thinking you could do a similar design for Miss Mystic next year?" Carol suggested
She nodded at Carol's proposal before a server provided them with menus and took their coffee orders.
Though it was still morning, she could have ordered a shot of liquor to get her through this meeting.
She hated having to put her pride aside for the sake of her business, and today was the last day, of all days, that she wanted to be subjected to the torture. Klaus was leaving today, and while a part of her was relieved that the awkward and painful tension would be coming to an end, another part of her was utterly devastated.
Perhaps she scheduled this meeting in spite of Klaus's departure, hoping that it would provide her with a distraction – or at the very least, an added excuse to leave the house so she wouldn't be there to see him leave.
She'd confessed her feelings to Klaus, he'd seemingly reciprocated them through a kiss and then he'd instantly pulled away, convinced that she'd break his heart.
The contradiction of his actions and his words had left her feeling lost, broken, and confused.
The night of Stefan and Meredith's reception was the first time she'd seen him that vulnerable with his emotions – aside from when Elijah and Elena had passed.
It seemed that he was scared of having his heart broken by her. She wondered if that was a general concern of his that had informed his promiscuous lifestyle up until her, or whether it was a fear particular only to her.
At first she was so surprised that she didn't know what to say. He'd hopped in the taxi and she followed suit. They maintained their silence for the ride, the talkative taxi driver distracting them from the intensity of their exchange. When they arrived home he headed straight upstairs for a shower, with barely a greeting to April. To avoid the awkwardness of encountering him upstairs, she started tidying the kitchen in the early hours of the morning, trying to clean through her thoughts.
After the initial shock of the night wore off, she had spent the last few days on a permanent rollercoaster of emotions. Even when she could sleep, it seemed like she was constantly dreaming about it. In one moment she was frustrated and angry with him for building her up and then bringing her down and in the next moment she felt guilty and sad that she had made him feel like he couldn't trust her with his heart.
In the moments she felt frustrated and angry, her stubbornness got the better of her and she purposely avoided Klaus, starting work early or leaving later, leaving the ball in his court to approach her – but then he never did, which only made her more upset, though she knew that he could be just as stubborn as her.
In the moments she felt guilty and sad, she would talk herself into trying to talk to him, to tell him how she felt, to apologize for making him feel so insecure with his feelings for her. Inevitably, when she wanted to reach out to him, the timing was bad or she would quickly sink back into the cycle of her negative feelings and withdraw.
His last few days had flown by and a part of her regretted not discussing things and leaving things between them seemingly unresolved. Then again, after everything that had happened between them, perhaps what needed to be said had already been said and talking about it would only make things worse. Maybe it was better to move forward this way for Grayson's sake.
At the same time, the thought of moving on from Klaus killed her inside and the dream about Klaus with this Cara woman with Grayson and Baby X became a recurring nightmare, both while she was asleep and while she was awake when her thoughts wandered.
"I'm sure I could," she confirmed, responding to Carol's suggestion that she create a dress similar to Meredith's reception dress for the next Miss Mystic Falls.
Once again, Carol flashed one of her insincere smiles.
"If you'd rather not assist with the pageant next year, Caroline, I would understand. You will have a big responsibility now caring for Grayson on your own full-time with Klaus returning to New York more permanently," Carol explained, her sweet tone of voice covering the negative judgment hidden beneath the surface.
"It will be fine," she tried to reassure her, becoming frustrated by Carol's suggestion, yet again, that she would not be capable of managing her business and care for Grayson on her own concurrently without Klaus's day-to-day involvement.
Another fake smile floated from Carol's lips.
"I am just looking out for you and Grayson," Carol reasoned innocently.
She caught herself scoffing sarcastically, which triggered a questioning look from Carol. She was fuming inside at Carol's claim.
"Did I say something wrong?" Carol wondered,
"Is that what you call it?" she asked plainly, unable to hold back from making her annoyed comment.
"What do you mean?" Carol asked, dumbfounded.
After everything she and Klaus had been through defending Mikael and Esther's claim for custody of Grayson – which was aided by Carol and Richard Lockwood, she couldn't suppress her feelings anymore.
"You tipped off Mikael and Esther that Klaus and I would be in New York so they could publicly humiliate Klaus on one of the most important evenings of his career by serving him with their Court Application," she elaborated resentfully.
Carol shrugged off her accusation as if it was nothing more than an unfounded rumour.
"You and Richard both prepared Affidavits supporting Mikael and Esther's claim for custody of Grayson!" she continued, growing angrier. "How can you sit here and honestly say that you're just looking out for me and Grayson?!" she demanded. "Klaus and I almost lost Grayson because of Mikael and Esther. We went through hell because of them, and you helped them!" she pointed out bitterly as her eyes welled with tears.
While she knew she would upset Carol with what she had to say, and potentially jeopardize her business relationship with Carol, she felt relieved that she had gotten everything she had been holding back off her chest.
Though Carol had a defensive and confused expression on her face, she retained her calm composure, not immediately lashing out at her in response to deny her conclusions as she expected her to do.
"Obviously now that you have Grayson permanently and will be his primary caregiver for the most part, I want to ensure that I'm not demanding too much of your time," Carol explained, seemingly innocently.
She shifted in her chair uncomfortably as she waited for Carol to address her and Richard's involvement in the custody case.
"Caroline, you know after your mom passed away you became like a daughter to me. And you and Tyler may not be together, but I still think of you that way. I care about you a great deal. Richard and I just want to make sure that you have the best life possible. In assisting Mikael and Esther we were simply trying to protect you. You deserve to get married one day to a man who is worthy of your heart. You deserve to have children of your own," Carol clarified patronizingly. "I've always hoped that you and Tyler could find your way back to one another," she smiled genuinely, as if she truly believed that to be a possibility.
She stood up from her chair abruptly, unable to withstand Carol's condescending and inconsiderate lecture.
"I can't listen to this anymore," she stated flatly. "I'm sure in your distorted view of reality you think you are trying to help me, and I've tried to justify it to myself in that way to be able to tolerate it for the sake of our working relationship, Carol, but I can't do it anymore."
Carol's eyes widened as she remained sunken in her chair, clutching her coffee mug in bewilderedly, clearly oblivious to her insensitivity.
"Grayson is mine and Klaus's," she corrected Carol. "Despite Mikael and Esther's claims to the contrary and your efforts to aid them in that pursuit, Grayson is ours – he's my child and that's how he will always be treated. If you really thought of me as a daughter, then you should understand how I feel about Grayson."
She huffed, feeling more of the weight of withholding fall off her shoulders as she expressed her feelings to Carol.
"And I have found someone who is worthy of my heart, and though I'm not so sure I'm worthy of his, I can assure you one-hundred percent that he is not Tyler and he never will be," she said to Carol confidently.
Her comment appeared to offend Carol, who stood up from her chair to meet her eyes.
"You're making a mistake here, Caroline," Carol said, threatening her business subtly, anticipating that would change her attitude.
She shook her head, digging into her wallet for some change to pay for the coffee. Tossing the change onto the table, she exited the café with her things quickly, unable to leave fast enough.
With some reluctance, he went to enter Caroline's shop, juggling Grayson and the gift bag in one hand awkwardly as he twisted the doorknob to open the door.
He and Grayson were both a little damp from the spitting rain.
Upon entering, the door chimed. He was greeted by a flowery scent and the sound of faint top 40 music playing from behind the main counter, where Camille was occupied with a customer.
There were two other patrons present – one was inspecting a dress off the rack, while the other was examining an assortment of accessories Caroline had on display from third-parties for sale.
He glanced around the small storefront, concluding that Caroline was most likely in the back putting the finishing touches on a custom order or completing paperwork.
Not wanting to bother Camille to confirm while she was with a customer, he showed himself to the back studio and office space in search of Caroline.
In the back there were several mannequin torsos clothed in nearly complete dresses suited for various types of occasions. On the expansive table in the centre of the room he noticed a few bolts of fabric, splayed out, waiting to be measured and cut.
Still, there was no sign of Caroline.
The door to her office was partially ajar and so he approached cautiously, not wanting to disturb her if she was with a client or on the phone – or just didn't want to see him. Peering into her office, he found it empty – a half full coffee mug and a banana on the desk seemingly the only signs that Caroline had been there at some point earlier that day.
With a defeated sigh, and a tired arm from holding both Grayson and the gift bag for Caroline, he opted to place the blue floral gift bag on her desk for her to find when she returned.
"I guess she'll get it when she gets back, Gray," he said to Grayson with a shrug, stepping back out of her office.
Glancing around the studio space once more, a piece of furniture covered by a white sheet in the corner of the room caught his eye. He approached, lifting the sheet curiously with his free hand.
Underneath, he was surprised to find the desk that had belonged to Elena's father – the one Elijah had used in his office and had occupied the room up until a few days ago when he thought Caroline had sold it to someone online. He had wanted to keep it, but he had no affordable way of getting it there, and no space in his apartment for it, even if he did.
"Caroline couldn't part with it," Camille said from behind him, startling him as she appeared in the back room. "I don't know if you were supposed to know that she kept it. She mentioned holding onto it and giving it to you someday or putting it in Grayson's room when he was older."
His jaw clenched, suppressing his reaction to Camille's revelation.
He turned to face her with Grayson.
"Hi Gray!" Camille exclaimed excitedly to Grayson, holding out her hands so that he could pass him over to her.
This allowed him to relax his arm, which was strained from Grayson's weight.
Judging by Camille's friendly reaction to his appearance, he surmised that Caroline had not filled her in on their exchange following Meredith and Stefan's reception. In a way, he found that to be a relief as it took the pressure off of him and this last minute visit he decided to pay Caroline.
"Sorry for showing myself back here. I didn't want to disturb you when you were with a customer. I thought Caroline would be here," he said to Camille who was busy making funny faces at Grayson to entertain him. "Is she around today?" he wondered.
"No, she's at a meeting with Carol Lockwood, but I'm expecting her back soon, if you want to wait?" Camille offered.
He exhaled disappointedly and shook his head.
"I have to get back to the house to finish packing before my flight to New York," he explained.
"Oh," Camille said understandingly, though seemingly as disappointed as he was. "April mentioned earlier this week that she was heading over to your place when she was finished her class to watch Grayson after you left until Caroline was done work."
He had always planned to take a taxi to the airport for his return to New York, knowing that he would have to leave in the afternoon to catch his flight. Truthfully, he had done that on purpose when he booked the return flight, because he didn't want to have to be confronted with Caroline or Grayson at the airport as he left – and even more so now.
"That's right," he affirmed. "Anyways, Grayson and I finished up the early birthday gift I was planning for her on Grayson's behalf and I wanted to drop it off before I left."
Camille frowned. "Caroline will be upset that she missed you guys. I know she's going to love the gift. It was so thoughtful of you."
He shrugged modestly.
"I couldn't have done it without your help," he acknowledged with a subdued smile, having discussed the gift idea with Camille and April already a few weeks ago when he had first arrived back in Mystic Falls. "I left it in her office for when she returns," he informed Camille absently.
"Is everything okay?" Camille wondered, sensing that something was off.
He shook his head in denial.
"It's going to be hard leaving this one," he said nodding towards Grayson who was perched contently atop Camille's forearm, staring up at the lights on the ceiling as Camille held him carefully in place.
"And Caroline?" she said, as both a statement and a question.
"And Caroline," he conceded, figuring there was no use in denying it.
Camille was quiet for a moment, appearing to be contemplating her next comment.
"I was hoping you two would work things out when you came back," Camille confessed hesitantly. "Caroline hasn't been herself since New York. I think she regrets what happened, but she can be so stubborn."
Deep down, he supposed he had been hoping that he and Caroline would work things out too – that he would return to Mystic Falls and their relationship would resume organically as it was before, as though New York had never happened.
"I suppose that we can both be," he acknowledged, thinking back to how he walked away from her after Meredith and Stefan's reception.
Sure, his reaction came from a place of legitimate insecurity after how Caroline had rejected him in New York, but he should have handled it better.
"I think you both need to stop being afraid of one another and embrace what you have before it's too late," Camille said bluntly, but wisely.
She entered the store dejectedly, feeling completely done after her meeting with Carol Lockwood.
As she approached Camille, who was on her cell phone at the main counter, she could hear her speak lowly into the phone. "Wes, I'll see you tonight. I have to go, there's a customer waiting," Camille murmured before ending the call.
She smirked, taken briefly out of her own discouraged thoughts as she discerned exactly whom Camille had been speaking with.
Camille blushed as she looked up at her guiltily, obviously worried that she would not be pleased that she had caught Camille talking to her new beau during work hours.
"Sorry," Camille apologized sincerely.
"Going on a date tonight?" she inquired curiously.
"We're just going to a movie after I'm done work," Camille shook her head, downplaying the nature of her relationship with Wes.
She nodded passively pretending to buy Camille's explanation though she knew by the giddy tone of Camille's voice that she and Wes were more than just friends.
"Are you okay?" Camille wondered, likely in part an effort to change the subject. "You looked upset when you walked in. How did your meeting with Carol go?"
She sighed as the feelings she had been momentarily distracted from came flooding back. Her face grew hot and her eyes began to sting.
Fortunately, there were no customers present in the store.
"I sabotaged the meeting, and likely any future business relationship I could expect to have with Carol and her referrals," she admitted regretfully. "I ruined everything," she concluded, combing her hands through her hair stressfully.
Camille appeared confused and surprised all at once.
"She set me off after she questioned whether I would be able to handle helping her with next year's Miss Mystic Pageant since I will have Grayson full-time after Klaus leaves," he detailed. "I called her out for helping Mikael and Esther with their custody Application for Grayson."
"I'm guessing she didn't react well to that," Camille guessed hesitantly, her eyes wide in anticipation for more information.
"That would be an understatement," she confirmed with a defeated sigh.
Camille frowned sympathetically.
"Well, It's not like Carol Lockwood didn't have it coming," Camille pointed out, trying to ease her mind about what had happened. "Did she think you were going to let that slide?"
She shrugged.
"In her twisted mind, she thinks that she was doing me a favour – saving me from the responsibility of caring for a child that isn't mine biologically and co-parenting with Klaus," she scoffed, rolling her eyes at how completely ridiculous that sounded.
Camille shook her head, mirroring her distaste. "I can't believe she would even try to justify it that way. She's out of her mind."
"In any case, standing up for myself personally, has jeopardized things for me professionally," she sighed in frustration.
"Fuck Carol Lockwood," Camille said effortlessly.
She laughed through her teeth hesitantly.
"I might be saying that with you if I didn't have Grayson to support now," she said anxiously, knowing that a part of her felt relieved to be done with Carol, having felt like most of her energy at work was occupied by her, leaving her with little passion for her work. However, another part of her knew that Carol and her referrals were a huge source of business for her, and while she knew that she wasn't completely on her own financially when it came to Grayson, given Klaus's support and estate funds held in trust for Grayson, she didn't want to become dependent on either of those sources to take care of Grayson.
Camille nodded sympathetically. "Caroline, you have done yourself a favour. You are free from that toxic woman and her incessant demands. Take this as an opportunity to reinvent yourself and focus on work you want to do. You do not need Carol to be successful. You are an amazing designer," she said to her encouragingly.
"I don't want to let anyone down," she admitted, fearful about what an uncertain future may hold for her and everyone connected to her.
"Grayson aside, I think you've focused on not letting anyone down too much and for too long. You need to focus on what you want too, Caroline," Camille pointed out, "If you focus too much on not letting other people down, you will let yourself down in the process."
She knew Camille was right. If she concerned herself too much with what other people expected of her, she would lose more of herself. That's not something she wanted to teach Grayson as he grew older.
"You're right," she acknowledged, still feeling uneasy about the implications of her falling out with Carol. "Did anything come up while I was out?" she wondered, glancing down at the mail on the counter, choosing to refocus herself on her other work in hopes that it would distract her from Carol and take her mind off of Klaus's departure – something that had taken a back seat since her meeting with Carol.
"Klaus and Grayson stopped by," Camille mentioned.
Her eyes shot upwards. "Is everything okay?" she wondered worriedly, concerned that something was wrong, while also feeling upset that she had missed them.
Her immediate reaction seemed to intrigue Camille, who gave her a questioning look.
"Everything is fine. Klaus was dropping off an early birthday gift for you," Camille elaborated.
"What?" she said aloud, surprised by Camille's answer. After everything that had happened between them, why would Klaus get her a gift for her birthday? Had he come to reach out to her?
"He said it was on Grayson's behalf," Camille clarified. "It's in your office."
She sighed, somewhat disappointedly.
"Though in my opinion, I think he wanted an excuse to see you once more before he left," Camille added mischievously, awaiting her reaction.
She scowled at Camille's comment, though she could not contain her rosy cheeks, which she noticed from the mirror on the wall behind Camille.
"Oh come on, Caroline," Camille rebuked her reaction. "It's obvious that Klaus is still in love with you, notwithstanding what happened in New York. It's obvious that you're still in love with him. And I don't know what's been going on between the two of you since he's been back, but I think now is the time to take my advice and focus on what you want and go after it before you miss the chance…because it took a one-way flight back to New York," Camille hinted strongly.
Shooting Camille an incredulous glare, she darted to the back of the shop for her office to retrieve the birthday gift that Klaus had left behind.
Stepping into her office, she immediately noticed the medium-sized blue floral gift bag atop her desk.
Approaching with curiosity, she peered into the bag. The gift was hidden by white tissue paper, but tucked in between she noticed a thicker piece of paper.
She pulled the paper out of the bag and smiled instantly. The paper was folded in half, in the shape of a card, decorated with what she recognized to be Grayson's finger paintings. On the cover, Klaus had obviously written 'Happy Birthday' and on the inside Klaus had written a message.
Caroline,
May this year fill you with the inspiration to make all of your birthday wishes and dreams come true.
Wishing you the happiest of birthdays.
Love,
Grayson and Klaus.
A tear from her eye hit the card she was staring down at. She wiped her eye as she set the card down on the desk beside the gift bag, not expecting to be overwhelmed by her emotion from a simple card.
It was the thought behind the card and the words that got to her. This was the first of many handmade cards and pictures she expected to receive from Grayson as he grew. And, despite what had happened between her and Klaus, he had taken it upon himself to help Grayson make her a birthday card. More than that, he had taken the time to write her a thoughtful message and sign it with love from both Grayson and him. Her heart swelled with warmth and sadness all at once. As his co-parent, she found it reassuring that Klaus could put their personal issues aside in this way for Grayson's sake. Personally, however, she hated to think that this was the extent of their relationship now. How could she have a happy birthday without him?
She reached into the gift bag slowly for the gift, guessing at what it might be. It was a large rectangular-shape. It felt almost like an over-sized book as she set it down on her desk to uncover. Pulling back the tissue paper, her suspicions proved to be correct. It was a book of some sort. The cover was black leather bound. Curiously, she noticed her initials embossed in the bottom right-hand corner.
Opening the cover, its familiar contents were revealed to her. Inside, framed by the black pages, were her dress sketches – both old and new. Some she had done in pencil, others were done in marker, some were black and white, and others had been filled in with colour using whatever she had on hand – pencil crayon, marker, and paints. Many of these sketches she had not seen in years, having stashed them away in old binders in a box beside the filing cabinet in her office. She glanced at the box, suspecting that it was now a bit lighter, wondering how Klaus had gotten access to them – assuming that Camille and April had assisted him.
Thumbing through the pages, she remembered each sketch she had done - some were gowns, and others were less formal, and some of them more impressive than others, but the passion behind them the same; a passion that had seemed to wane over the last few years the more she concerned herself with the mundane interests of others. Her eyes grew hot with tears as she stared down at the drawings. A part of her was pained by the irony of receiving this gift on the day that following the interests of others had blown up in her face. Another part of her – a larger part of her – felt comforted by the gift. It had picked up where her conversation with Camille had left off. It served as a tangible reminder to her about the dreams she had before life had overwhelmed her. The drawings made her feel inspired and excited – something she had sacrificed much of for the safety of reliable work.
She supposed that's what drew her to Klaus from the start – he inspired her, he excited her, he made her feel the passion she craved all while making her feel invulnerable and protected. And, yet, she had let her insecurities get the better of her and she turned her back on him in New York.
Despite this realization, here she was crying over a birthday gift and Klaus was on his way back to New York.
Her phone buzzing from inside her purse started her out of her thoughts. Reaching in her purse, Bonnie's face appeared on her screen.
Impeccable timing, she thought.
Wiping her eyes and inhaling sharply through her nose, she answered the call.
"Hello?" she answered.
"Caroline?" Bonnie replied. "Where are you?"
Bonnie seemed agitated.
"I'm at work," she responded, waiting for Bonnie to clarify.
"Did you get the gift?" Bonnie wondered.
"Yes," she said curiously, still waiting for Bonnie to explain the reason for her call.
"Klaus should be leaving for the airport soon," Bonnie noted randomly, though she knew it was a hint.
"Yeah…" she trailed off.
"So then why the hell are you still at work?!" Bonnie questioned her critically.
She shook her head, scoffing into the phone as she tried to conceal her smirk.
"I literally just got here ten minutes ago," she tried to defend herself.
"That's ten minutes too long," Bonnie remarked. "Caroline, stop over thinking this, get in your car and stop your man from leaving again."
"But…" she was about to protest.
"You heard me. I'm not repeating myself!" Bonnie said sternly before hanging up on her.
She held the phone in her hand, releasing a long exhale as she glanced down at the card and the gift, contemplating her next move.
Placing the gift and the card back into the bag quickly, she stormed out of her office determinedly, nearly colliding with Camille who was obviously coming to check on her.
"Whoa, you're in a hurry. Where are you going?" Camille wondered curiously.
She nodded quickly, brushing by her. "To focus on what I want before he gets on a one-way flight back to New York," she said simply, echoing back Camille's warning to her.
The ten minute drive home had been a blur, taking back streets to escape the traffic of downtown as school started to let out and people were finishing work, determined to make it home before Klaus departed for the airport.
She tried calling him on the way, but he didn't answer.
Instead of taking the time to pull her car into the driveway, she stopped out front, tearing the key from the ignition and grabbing her purse as she climbed out of the car hurriedly.
The spitting rain barely touched her as she dashed towards the front porch. She stumbled inside after unlocking the front door she was leaning against to open.
Inside, the gloomy weather had darkened more than usual at this hour, the only light coming from a small table lamp in the front hall and the under cabinet lighting shining dimly from the kitchen.
"Klaus!" she called, dropping her purse to the floor and tossing her keys on the hall table.
Her eyes darted from the living room to the hall leading into the kitchen, searching for him as she listened for his response.
"Klaus!" she demanded again, stepping towards the stairs and glancing up to the second floor.
She was met with nothing but silence.
Her stomach knotted.
April's sudden appearance at the top of the stairwell startled her.
"I just put Grayson down for his nap!" April whisper-shouted down to her in response to her calls for Klaus.
Biting her lip guiltily for having shouted so loudly in the house with Grayson asleep, she murmured a quick apology to April.
While she was relieved to know that April and Grayson was here, it told her nothing about Klaus and whether he was still here.
"Where is Klaus?" she asked impatiently, worried that Klaus may have already left for the airport.
"I just heard him leave out the back door not even five minutes ago to load his things in the taxi he called for," April explained. "I'm assuming you received the gift?" April wondered, and optimistic expression.
It seemed like everyone knew about the gift.
Without responding to April's question, she rushed down the hall and through the kitchen towards the back door.
Peering out the window to the backyard, she could see Klaus climbing into the back of the taxi as he pulled the door closed – the taxi beginning its departure as he did so.
Knowing that she would miss Klaus by chasing after him down the driveway, she bolted back out the front door, leaping off the front porch and out onto the damp lawn towards the road expecting the taxi to round the corner.
When she spotted it she sucked in a breath and ran out into the road in front of the taxi without a second thought. She skirted out of the way around the left side of the vehicle as its breaks complained stopping it abruptly and mere inches away from her legs. Shaken by the near miss she extended her hands and placed them on the hood of the taxi, wet from the rain, to steady herself and her breathing.
She could see the taxi driver cursing her through the windshield from behind the steering wheel as she heard the back door of the taxi swing open.
Klaus emerged, clearly distressed by what had happened.
"Caroline! You could have gotten yourself killed. What the bloody hell are you doing?!" Klaus asked exasperatedly.
"What does it look like I'm doing?" she countered, annoyed by his lack of concern or acknowledgement.
Klaus glared at her with a look of bewilderment. "Suicide by taxi?" he questioned, throwing his hands up in the air, the rain hitting the palms of his hands.
She scowled at him with a frustrated huff.
"Seriously!?" she asked him. "I just ran out in front of a moving car in the rain to stop you from leaving and instead of asking me if I'm alright, you're going to make a joke?"
A look of realization and curiosity seemed to cross Klaus's face.
"Stop me from leaving?" he asked, shutting the taxi door slowly.
She nodded tentatively, rounding the front of the taxi to move closer to him. "You can't leave," she stated, as though it were a command Klaus was obliged to follow.
"Why?" he asked reluctantly, seemingly afraid of what her explanation might be.
Considering her response, she paused briefly.
"Isn't it obvious?" she wondered, as her emotions began to overwhelm her. "Because I'm in love with you, Klaus Mikaelson!" she confessed sincerely, the weight of her words falling away from her shoulders with her admission.
She had taken him by surprise for a moment. He smiled. That was a good sign, she thought to herself anxiously as she waited for his response.
"Are you alright?" he asked her, a small teasing smirk playing on his lips.
"UGH!" she scowled, stepping towards him determinedly, resting her hands on his chest as she met his lips with hers.
The kiss was deep, but chaste, both of them acutely aware of the peering eyes of the taxi driver staring at them impatiently from inside his running vehicle. Klaus's hands framed her face as his own lips took the lead, caressing her top and bottom lips gently before breaking their embrace slowly, as if to reassure her that second thoughts were not pulling him away.
Her eyes fluttered open to meet his.
"I love you, Caroline," Klaus acknowledged genuinely, his words made her feel warm, despite the cool fall air and the damp rain. He kissed her forehead. "But promise me that you won't run into traffic again?" he asked her. "Even if it's to tell me something I've wanted to hear you say for a while," he clarified with a grin.
She nodded, smiling as a chuckle slipped her lips.
As she was about to lean in to kiss him once more, the sound of the taxi driver's window descending startled them.
"I have a pick-up at the airport to get to. I can't wait here all day while you make out with your girlfriend. Are you staying or going?" the grey bearded man demanded of Klaus impatiently.
Girlfriend, she repeated internally to herself.
"I mean, I want your fare, but if the girl is telling you to say, you should probably stay," the taxi driver added with a shrug.
Holding her breath, she waited for Klaus to answer the man, afraid that he may have a split second change of heart.
"I'm afraid I won't be keeping you company this afternoon, mate," Klaus said to the taxi driver with a shrug. "I'll take my things," he added, signalling him to open the trunk of the vehicle so he could retrieve his luggage.
"I'll keep you company!" April called to the taxi driver as she emerged from the house with her bag in hand.
She watched April approach as Klaus moved to the back of the taxi to remove his things.
"I can give you a ride home. I said that I would," she told April, feeling guilty for the unexpected change of plans.
April shook her head from under the hood of her jacket, glancing over at Klaus who was unloading his luggage from the trunk. "It's okay. I think you'll be busy anyways," she noted with a fleeting wink and a smirk as she moved by her for the taxi.
Turning on her heel, she rolled her eyes at April's suggestive remark, concealing her slight embarrassment by thanking her for coming to watch Grayson.
As the taxi pulled away with April, she and Klaus were left standing curbside across from one another, his luggage beside him as he smiled at her.
He was staying for her.
The heady tension between them was overflowing as they returned inside the house. Caroline had barely closed and locked the door before he had her up against it, kissing the soft porcelain skin under her jaw hungrily.
His hands brushed themselves through her damp rain and vanilla scented blonde hair, holding her in place as he indulged in the taste of her skin.
Caroline sighed contentedly, her head falling back against the doorframe, allowing herself to succumb to his teasing lips.
Eager to reacquaint himself with her body, he slid his hands inside her pale pink trench coat and outlined her hips. It had been too long.
He murmured at the feeling of Caroline's hands slipped through his own wet curls, tugging his hair gently to pull him up closer to her mouth. Following her silent instructions, he ascended his lips, allowing Caroline to catch them with her own.
Wanting and lustful best described the way she kissed him, taking his breath right from his lungs while their tongues danced hypnotically.
Her hands griped her shoulders while they kissed. He could hear her kicking off her shoes below, her bare foot swiping by his leg as she did so. Taking the opportunity, he stepped out of his own shoes at the same time.
He helped her slide her coat down her arms before the wet material fell to the floor and pooled at their feet. Underneath, she was wearing a fitted grey wool dress, covering her entire body from above the knee to below her collarbone – much to his frustration.
She reciprocated the gesture, unzipping and unbuttoning his black collared coat. He reached behind him to finish what she had started, pulling off the sleeves and tossing the coat to the side, the thick metal zipper complaining against the wood floor.
With another layer of clothing removed, their hands explored, her hands wandering up his forearms and his biceps, his tracing her upper thighs.
Caroline broke their fevered kisses to his protest as she reversed their positions, placing him against the door. Their breathing was heavy and laboured. She looked at him intently with her hand pressed against his chest, keeping him at a safe distance.
"Come upstairs, Klaus," she invited temptingly. "I want you to make love to me," her explicit and blunt request filling him with anxious desire
There was a serious implication behind her request that he hadn't felt the full force of in the past. Her simple but significant request was frightening and exciting to him all at once.
He hesitated, swallowing hard, the pressure of expectation heightened on this particular occasion. It truly felt different between them this time.
"But," she started, knowing that there would be a condition and she was waiting for him to affirm it.
It felt strange that he was placing conditions upon his physical intimacy with another, but he had to be sure of her intentions. The risk in not doing so was too high.
"But, this is it," he said simply, confusing her for a moment about what he meant and the extent of his intentions. "Caroline, there is no running away from one another this time."
He tucked her damp hair behind her ear, studying her features, waiting for her response.
"Even though we somehow always seem to find our way back to one another," she pointed out, appreciating the irony of it.
"Here we are," he agreed sharing in her observation with a tentative smile, still awaiting her assurances.
"Klaus, if we make love, then there is no going back after this, not this time," she confirmed, repeating his words in part as an assurance to him, but also as condition of her affection.
Before he could lean in to kiss her as an offering of his acceptance, she stopped him.
"Promise?" she asked.
He nodded, "I promise."
She fell forwards, eager to allow their bodies express their feelings for one another in a way that their words could not articulate.
He stopped her, eyeing her expectantly, waiting for her to return his same words of commitment.
"Klaus," Caroline started, placing her right hand over his chest, his heart pounding against her palm through the material of his charcoal coloured henley. "Your heart is safe with mine," she affirmed.
Leaning into him, her lips brushed against his cheek softly, moving to his jaw just under his ear. "I promise," she murmured.
The sincerity of her promise and his desire for her defeated any lingering defences he'd built up around himself and left him powerless.
He clutched her face with his hands, claiming her lips with his, deepening the kiss as their tongues met once more.
It felt terrifyingly wonderful to succumb to his feelings and submit to her on the sheer force of her words alone – as if he were leaping off the edge of precipice backwards with his eyes closed trusting that she would catch him before he hit the bottom.
Her hands fell down his torso, her right hand clasping his left hand and she stepped backwards carefully, leading him by the hand towards the stairwell, their eyes fixed upon one another.
She stepped up onto the first stair, kissing him each time she moved before turning around.
Their hands still entwined, he followed her close, admiring the shape of her figure from behind and the way her golden hair swayed as she moved.
His body was buzzing with excitement and arousal as they reached the second floor and he followed her to her bedroom. He felt like a nervous teenage boy about to experience his first time with a girl. But this wasn't his first time nor was it their first time together. He used to crave variety in the women he encountered. Now, he yearned for the familiar, and Caroline, in particular.
Once in her darkened bedroom, her recognizable floral scent enveloped him as he inhaled it deeply.
He watched fixedly as she turned on the nightstand lamp, her back towards him. She flashed him a seductive glance over her shoulder beckoning him closer. He approached her, pushing her hair to the side, revealing her exposed neck and collarbone. Distracting her with the soft touch of his lips against her skin, he tentatively guided the zipper of her dress down her back, eager to uncover the rest of the body his had longed for.
Pushing the dress over her shoulders and off her arms, he kneeled slightly to push the material over her backside, peppering kisses along her spine. He let the dress fall to her feet, entranced by the sight of the deep pink bra and underwear she was wearing underneath.
He unclasped her bra, sliding the straps down her arms, allowing the garment to drop to the floor. Moving closer, he allowed his hands to splay out against the creamy skin of her back, tracing the tattoo he had sketched for her on her torso.
Caroline purred at his touch, her head falling back in enjoyment. He caressed her shoulders, following his hands with his lips, kissing the exposed flesh of her neck.
She leaned back against his chest, providing him with a view of hers as she raised her arm behind her, clasping it behind his neck to hold him in place.
Taking her encouragement as an invitation, he dipped his hands over her front, grazing his palms over her breasts and her hardened nipples.
He was hot with lust, his body burning for hers and his cock throbbing between his legs as it grew harder for her. Caroline's backside moving against him intentionally wasn't helping matters.
She turned around slowly to face him. Silently, she clutched his shirt in her hands lifting it up and over his head with his help.
Her own gaze drinking in the sight of him made his body yearn for her more.
Pulling him into her by the edge of his black jeans, she kissed the bare skin of his chest, before curling her fingers around the necklace he was wearing to bring his mouth down to meet hers.
With that, she moved to the edge of the bed, her eyes luring him towards her. Her hands slid down to her hips, pushing the cotton and lace material of her underwear down her thighs, rendering her completely exposed to him.
She was gorgeous.
He followed suit as she sat down on the bed waiting for him expectantly, removing his pants and boxer shorts as quickly as he could.
Moving closer, he noticed her eyes give him a lustful once over. He paused in front of her, looking down at her desirously as she leaned back against the bed, the flat of her palms behind her holding her up.
He ran his hand through her hair, admiring the damp curls of her hair splayed out over her bare chest. Caressing her cheek, she took him by surprise by kissing the inside of his palm, her eyes never wavering from his as she did so.
"I need you, Caroline," he admitted, unable to withhold the desire he had for her.
She pushed herself backwards on the bed, as if subtly acquiescing to his request, reaching out for his hand as she did so to pull him with her.
Parting her legs to allow him room in between, this intentionally allowed him the most delicious sight of her perfect and wet…
"Then have me," she murmured seductively, interrupting his thoughts with her lascivious invitation.
Deferring to the nightstand beside her bed, he was thankful that she still retained protection on hand for unanticipated moments like these.
"You don't need to," Caroline told him.
He glanced at her curiously.
"The birth control," she reminded him.
Returning his attention to her, he followed her onto the bed, resting his knees on the mattress as he eagerly climbed in between her legs.
He'd longed for a moment like this again for months, missing the way it felt to be connected to her in this way.
His hands fell on either side of her to hold himself up above her. He kissed her hungrily, needing to feel contact with her.
She weaved her own hands around his neck to keep him close while their lips taunted each other with the promise of what was to come.
Their most intimate parts were pressed agonizingly close to one another – her breasts taut against his chest and her centre flush against his length.
"Please," she begged lowly against his mouth, her hips bucking upwards to meet his teasing movements.
He slid his fingertips along the outside of her thigh, guiding it around his waist as her other leg followed suit.
With both of her legs hooked around his waist drawing him even closer to her centre, he parted their lips, allowing himself the sight of her flushed face staring up at him anticipatorily, waiting for him to enter her.
Her hands cupped his face. "I love you," she breathed reassuringly, lifting her head to capture his lips in another consuming kiss as he sheathed himself inside of her with a swift thrust of his hips.
They both expressed moans of relief at the sensation. It was an unfamiliar and overwhelming feeling being inside of her without any barrier in between.
"I love you," he panted.
"I bet you do," Caroline replied with a small chuckle, observing their compromised position.
His laugh in response was cut short as Caroline rolled her hips, causing an unexpected groan to escape his lips.
Caroline shot him a haughty grin, knowing the kind of effect she had on him.
He met her hips, sinking into her deeper. Her head fell back as she gasped in surprise at the sensation of him filling her once more.
"Fuck," she cursed in a whisper, her fingertips griping his shoulders and her heels digging into his lower back.
He loved the way that word sounded escaping her lips
It was his turn to smirk at her, drinking in the sight of her succumbing to her sexuality, embracing the pleasure their bodies were creating.
His hands clenched the bedding on either side of her as he continued his steady tortuous movements inside of her heat, her tight wet centre enveloping him with every thrust he made.
He kept her body close, ensuring the delightful friction against her clit that he knew she craved the most.
"So close…don't stop, harder," she pleaded with him desperately, as though she thought that he might in the midst of their mutual ecstasy.
Her request was impossible to fulfill without succumbing to his own pleasure.
In an effort to prevent his body from betraying him too soon as he quickened his pace at Caroline's request, he kissed her forcefully, concentrating on the movement of his lips and his tongue as a distraction from the pressure building between his legs.
"Come for me, love," he encouraged her, even more aroused by her pending orgasm.
He could feel her body tense all around him, her thighs flexed against his hips, her calves tense against his back and her forearms stiff around his torso as she held her breath.
"Yes! Yes! Oh my god!" Caroline cried out loudly in climax, her body quaking while her walls pulsed rhythmically against his shaft as if trying to coax out his own release.
As she freefell from the height of her euphoria, her muscles relaxed and she outstretched her hands above her revelling in the relaxing warmth that he imagined was overtaking her body.
With her physical confirmation, he allowed himself to focus upon the sweet tension in his groin ready to boil over any second.
He weaved his hands in hers above her head, clutching them tightly as he moved fervidly inside her, the sound of their heavy breathing and kissing skin filling the room.
"Again," Caroline warned as her own body tensed against his once more, seemingly preparing itself for a second round – a delicious treat that happened every so often.
Fortunately for him, the second ones always came immediately on the tails of the first and so as he was at the height of his own bliss so was she and they ran for the edge together.
He slowed his pace as he hesitated briefly at the plateau, looking to her for permission to continue.
"It's okay," she breathed reassuringly. "I want to feel you come inside me," she urged him.
Her words alone nearly did him in as he continued to his tortuous movements.
Moments later, his orgasm shot through him forcefully and he was sure his verbal expressions were several utterances of incoherent words. He shook violently with every pleasurable spasm of his muscles that overtook him as he came inside of her.
Through the pleasurable haze, he could hear Caroline murmuring obscenities into his ear as a second orgasm spread throughout her body, evidenced too by the way he could feel her pulsing around his throbbing cock, still descending from his own natural high.
When he was sure they were both properly finished, he collapsed onto the mattress beside her, inside the frame of her arm which she curled around him securely as he allowed himself to rest his head against her chest and collarbone.
They lay there silently. His mind was still spinning, still trying to process the aftermath. Her chest was rising and falling quickly, working to catch the breath she had lost. Their hearts were pounding like low drums. Their bodies were sweaty from their exertion.
His former self would have laughed at him, but he missed this – the intimacy they created in these moments as they basked in the afterglow of their lovemaking. It was something that he only ever wanted to share with her.
Caroline's fingertips were drawing circles on his shoulder while her other free hand entwined with his across her stomach.
"Wow," she sighed. "That felt amazing. I think you got better at that, if that's even possible," she mused in awe.
She was right – it did feel amazing.
He smirked at her, his ego loving the unnecessary attention.
"Who have you been practicing on?" she asked teasingly, though he could sense a hint of concern in her voice.
"Myself?" he snorted, making a suggestive motion with his hand.
She snickered.
"I missed having access to your upgraded porn account when I needed it most," she admitted jokingly with a modest laugh.
It was no secret to him that Caroline Forbes had a penchant for adult content on occasion – something he had come to discover and appreciate during their time together.
"The password never changed, sweetheart," he confessed with a shrug and a playful smirk.
Caroline chuckled. "Well, in that case, I think you can still make your flight back to New York," she mused, pushing him off of her by his shoulder.
He shook his head, feigning disappointment, knowing that she was playing with him.
On his back, Caroline rolled over towards him, crossing her bare leg over his while she settled her arms across his chest and rested her head on top to look up at him. Her hair and makeup were mussed but she looked as beautiful as ever. He combed his hand through her hair while his other arm wrapped around her back.
"Klaus?" she started.
He looked down at her, waiting for her to continue.
"There really hasn't been anyone else?" she wondered, suddenly sounding self conscious as a result of her earlier comment.
At least he wasn't the only jealous one, he concluded, thinking about his reaction when he had suspected Caroline fancied Matt Donovan before he knew that Matt Donovan fancied men.
He gave her an incredulous look.
"Sweetheart, since I've had you, there could never be anyone else," he assured her confidently, knowing it was the truth. She was it for him. "You've ruined me for all others."
"Good," she smiled, pleased by his answer.
She leaned into him, kissing his lips lightly.
"Maybe I should be asking you that question?" he asked, arching his eyebrow curiously.
She laughed in his face. "You already did. Remember when you interrogated me about the birth control you found and Matt Donovan?"
"I didn't know that he was gay, love," he reaffirmed once more in his defence.
"I did have a bit of a crush on Matt before I discovered he was gay," she admitted with a smirk, suggesting that she had initially been attracted to Matt.
He raised his head slightly to glare at her, a tinge of jealousy igniting within him and then fading as he reminded himself of where they were and the fact that Caroline's naked body was pressed up against him.
"The birth control was a great idea though," he acknowledged,
She snickered, not disagreeing with his observation.
"Not ready for another baby?" she questioned with a laugh.
He shook his head. "Perhaps one day, when we're ready and can plan for it," he admitted, garnering raised eyebrows from Caroline, who seemed surprised by his openness to the idea of having children. "It would be nice for Grayson to have a sibling," he shrugged. "But, not yet. We've barely figured Grayson out," he added, still trying to comprehend how parents of children managed one child, let alone two.
She nodded in agreement.
Their conversation was interrupted by the sound of Grayson's cries from his bedroom through the bathroom that separated Caroline's room from his.
"Speaking of Grayson," he noted. "Someone's up from his nap."
"He's probably hungry," she concluded with a sigh. "It's nearly dinner."
Glancing over at the clock on her nightstand, he realized that he had lost track of the time of day.
With Caroline's mention of dinner, his stomach growled loudly.
She looked down at his stomach in amusement.
"I guess you're hungry, too," she laughed as she slipped off the bed.
He sat up and grabbed her hand before she could escape. "Where are you going?" he asked, complaining in protest.
Pulling her hand away, she reached for her floral robe off the hook on the door to the bathroom. He admired her naked frame as she did, frowning when she wrapped the robe tightly around her torso.
"I'm going to get Grayson and you're going to go downstairs and make him a bottle to tide him over and order a pizza for us," she instructed him with a grin, tossing him his boxers from the floor.
He smiled at her with a salute as she disappeared into the bathroom and towards Grayson's bedroom. This is what he had wanted more than anything – these simple rainy afternoons and evenings that they spent together with Grayson. It unnerved him to think how close he had come to losing these moments with them.
Downstairs, he fixed a bottle for Grayson and ordered a pizza for himself and Caroline on his phone which was littered with missed alerts for his flight back to New York. Kol had even texted him to ask if he had made it to the airport and what time he should swing by his apartment later to go out for drinks.
He texted him back a brief message, informing him that he had missed the flight and would not be returning to New York that evening.
Almost instantly, his phone buzzed with a call from Kol. He smirked and intentionally ignored the call. Kol could wait until later for a more thorough explanation, he thought as he headed back upstairs.
He shook his head amusedly as he passed Caroline's purse in the front hall and her phone's ringtone started to sound. He assumed that it was Bonnie calling her after having been informed by Kol of the content of his vague text message to him.
Back upstairs, he found Caroline propped up against the headboard of her bed, bouncing Grayson gently in her lap.
"Did you order the pizza?" Caroline wondered.
He nodded with a smirk. "Someone worked up an appetite?"
She rolled her eyes at him before focusing her attention back on Grayson as he approached the bed.
"I had to change him," Caroline sighed, covering her nose in a disgusted expression.
He climbed onto the bed beside Caroline, sitting in a similar position as her but on the other side of Grayson.
"Love the shark onesie, mate," he commented to Grayson, brushing his hair to catch Grayson's attention.
Grayson looked his way, his eyes lighting up as he noticed him. Immediately, Grayson leaned over, reaching his hands out towards him – or the bottle he spotted in his hand.
"Daaa-da," Grayson cooed. "Daaa."
Caroline's eyes widened as she released Grayson, allowing him to crawl over the blankets towards him.
"Did you hear what he said? He said it," Caroline observed in surprise. "He just called you 'Dada'," she affirmed becoming emotional like she had when Grayson called her Mama.
He shrugged, trying to play it down as Grayson settled himself in his lap with his bottle, lying back against his torso as though he were a reclining chair.
"He said it earlier today, too," he admitted, holding Grayson against him with his hand over his tummy. "But like you said before, how would he know?" he reminded her, questioning whether Grayson even understood what he was saying, still uncomfortable by the alternative.
Caroline didn't seem convinced.
"Grayson calls me Mama more than Cee-Cee now," she admitted. "Or at least his version of Cee-Cee," she mused, knowing that the 's' sound would take Grayson much more practice to master.
He sighed, resting his chin in Grayson's hair as he watched him devour his bottle. It was bittersweet watching Grayson grow, knowing that with each day that passed, they moved a little bit further from a time when Elijah and Elena were here, and it became more and more apparent that Grayson had likely forgotten them for now.
Caroline shuffled closer to him, leaning her head on his shoulder with a sigh. "Grayson's doctor said that if he's using those words on his own then we shouldn't discourage him – that discouraging him and dwelling on Elijah and Elena might actually do more harm. It's healthy for him to form parental attachments with us – as uncomfortable as it makes us sometimes," she explained, referring to Elijah and Elena's absence. "We're not replacing them," Caroline added. "Lots of kids have more than two parents."
Of course, Caroline would have consulted with Grayson's doctor about this issue, he thought, amused by how meticulous she was with him.
Despite how uncomfortable it felt at times, he supposed Caroline was right. He'd even said as much to Caroline when Grayson had started calling her 'Mama'. They needed to put their discomfort aside for Grayson. It wasn't their discomfort that mattered, what mattered was ensuring that Grayson was comfortable.
"We could never replace Elijah or Elena," he acknowledged.
Caroline agreed. "But that's okay," she affirmed. "Elijah and Elena didn't want replacements – they only wanted to make sure that Grayson would be well cared for. We can't do everything exactly how Elijah and Elena might have done things – we have to start creating a new life with Grayson," she explained, echoing advice she had likely received from Grayson's doctor or numerous articles she had reviewed on the subject.
It was reassuring to think about things from that perspective – to focus on their future as opposed to lingering in the past.
Caroline placed her hand over his while they studied Grayson who was busy indulging in his bottle and staring at the shadows on the bedroom walls caused by the glow of the nightstand lamp.
"This certainly wasn't the life I anticipated that I would have a year ago," he thought aloud, suspecting that if events had not transpired the way that they had, he would still be indulging in his bachelor lifestyle in the City.
"Same," Caroline acknowledged, looking up at him amusedly, likely having the same thoughts.
"And I feel guilty and selfish for saying this because of what had to happen for us to be here in this moment together – not that I wanted what happened to happen – but now that it has, I wouldn't trade this for anything," he admitted.
"I wouldn't either," she confessed quietly.
He turned slightly to kiss her forehead sincerely, knowing that they would both have to grapple with the conflicting realization that the twist of fate that had brought them together and Grayson into their lives was both the best and worst thing that had ever happened to them.
They sat their quietly, processing that reality for a moment. It was a reality that they would have to process for the rest of their lives.
"I hope the flight you missed wasn't too expensive," Caroline winced apologetically.
"It was worth it for this," he said simply as his fingertips drew circles in her palm. "Though I will have to go back to the City soon to get things in order with Marcel and come up with a plan to work remotely on a more…permanent basis," he thought, alluding to his intention to make Mystic Falls his home base.
Caroline was quiet for a moment.
"I loved my birthday gift," she acknowledged.
With everything that had happened since then, he had nearly forgotten about delivering it with Grayson earlier that day.
"I'm glad," he replied.
"After the terrible meeting that I had with Carol Lockwood today, I needed it," she revealed.
He wanted to ask what had happened with Carol, but he refrained, sensing she wasn't finished talking.
"It made me think a lot about things…the dreams I had for us before I ran away from them…the dreams I used to have for my career before I came back here to take care of my mom," she continued.
She curled her hand in his, seemingly anxious.
"I'm not ready to give up on any of those dreams, even more so now after everything that's happened with Grayson," she admitted. "My mom never wanted me to give up on them even when she was sick. She felt guilty when I returned to Mystic Falls. Elena was always encouraging me to go back to New York after my mom passed. If they taught me anything, life is too short and I don't want to live with any regrets," she explained.
His curiosity was piqued as he waited for Caroline to complete her thoughts.
"Perhaps you could book an extra ticket for me when you return to New York?" she suggested.
He raised his eyebrows. "What do you mean?" he asked, looking down at her questioningly, not wanting to jump to any conclusions in case he had misread things.
"I mean that we're going to have to start looking for two-bedroom apartments now if Grayson and I are going to move in time for us to spend our first Christmas together in New York," she clarified with an excited grin.
A/N: Well…what did you think? This was technically the "last" chapter, but there is still one more chapter to go…a bit of a flash forward. ;)
On that note, I should say that I'm planning a short epilogue involving a series of drabbles to fill in some of the blanks as to the fate of the Forbes-Mikaelson family. While I have a general idea of things I would like to depict, I am certainly open to incorporating requests, if there are certain moments or milestones you would like to read about.