Hey! It's been awhile since I've written one of these...but I've missed it and been doing a lot of brainstorming with Steph (klarolinedrabbles) that inspired me to finally start them again!
This is a prompt I've been wanting to write for awhile that I really wish could've been canon.
Prompt: Klaus finds out about the merge.
WARNING: ANGST! ANGST! ANGST!
DO NOT READ IF YOU DON'T LIKE ANGST. FAIR WARNING BECAUSE THAT IS BASICALLY ALL THIS CHAPTER IS.
I'm giving you all a gift on my birthday lol
Also, I'm just as confused about the merge as anyone else so if it sounds wonky, blame the tvd writers who didn't think any of it through.
Enjoy!
"Stand out there any longer I'm going to start getting the wrong impression." Klaus blurted through the closed door of Caroline's office, loud enough for a nervous Alaric on the other end to hear loud and clear.
The mortal man had been pacing back and forth neurotically outside the room for the past 10 minutes—trying to align his thoughts. He hadn't even realized how much time had went by, stopping in his tracks and facing the wooden barrier blocking him from his fear.
Alaric closed his eyes, chanting a mental prayer and exhaling before turning the doorknob to walk into the room. His lip curled up into a snarl at the view of Klaus sitting back in the chair with his feet on the desk and a book between his hands.
The chair and desk he paid for—the furniture meant to accommodate Caroline's comfort all day while working, not her murderous hybrid lover to take residency when we be felt like it.
"You know this is Caroline's office, the one she uses to meet with students and parents? It's not for your personal leisure." Alaric remarked.
"I think you've confused me with someone that cares." Klaus replied, still not looking up send flipped to the next page.
-Dick. Maybe he doesn't deserve to know.
-No, no...I can't do that. This is just about me anymore.
Alaric thought or himself, bawling his fist and keeping his cool.
Both men were still struggling to adjust coexisting in each other's lives. Alaric hated when Klaus flew to Mystic Falls for a visit, which had been an often occurrence the last few years. What started off as once a month quickly turned into every other week. The invasion of his space wasn't the only misfortune, but each time Alaric thought he was making progress with Lizzie his shine was overshadowed by the complex immortal. The two had been thick as thieves since Lizzie turned 12 years old—running up the phone bill from calling Klaus almost everyday when he was anywhere but Mystic Falls. She even frequented to New Orleans to spend a weekend with Klaus and his family more than he liked.
He's tried to push the sting of jealously to the side, especially now. If anything the reminder of how close they were only made the human feel more nauseous.
Klaus' eyes shot up from his book when Alaric didn't reply, observing his horrid poker face. The obvious anxiety coursing through his fragile body was almost laughable. Palms damp, bobbing throat and sweat droplets forming on his forehead.
The hybrid squinted, his lips twisting in suspicion. He usually didn't care if something was on Alaric's mind but with Caroline around campus somewhere and the girls out shopping in town, his boredom peaked.
He rolled his eyes. "Alright, I'll bite." Klaus closed the novel, putting his feet down and leaning against the desk with folded hands. "What's on your mind?"
Gulp.
Alaric straightened his back. "I don't know what you're talking about."
"Yet your face says a different story, and clearly you want to talk about something or you wouldn't have been lurking outside my door like a Peeping Tom."
"Your door?" Alaric scoffed, not even fazed by the insult.
Klaus smirked, standing up from the chair to size up the other man who was still by the door.
The room reeked of scotch and male ego.
"Besides the fact that the woman I share a life with resides in this office daily, I generously and selflessly invested three million dollars into making this school what it is. So yes, my door." Klaus emphasized.
Alaric's fists pinched tighter.
"Now we can play 'whose is bigger' all day long or you can stop wasting my rare courtesy of giving a damn about you." He quipped.
He sighed regrettably. "Words can't explain how much it pains me to do this but, I need your help."
The other man's full red lips curved into a smirk. "Is that so?"
Instead of immediately relying to the smugness, Alaric helped himself to the secret stash of liquor Caroline kept in the closet. Pouring himself a full glass of the bitter drink and filling it down in one sitting.
Klaus' eyebrows shot up amusingly. "Sounds serious." His tone sarcastic.
"It is." Alaric affirmed, gently placing the glass on the coffee table before sitting.
Not that he's ever admit it but Klaus was feeling a wave of anxiety sweeping over him the longer Alaric took to blurt out his troubles.
-Did something happen to Caroline?
Was his first thought.
Klaus panicked, impatiently waiting for the man who was staring down at his intertwined fingers.
"It's about the twins..." Alaric quickly added, causing the hybrid's cocky expression to die in an instant.
Oh this is worse, much worse.
His jaw clenched and body visibly tightened as all the worse case scenarios began to play on loop in his head. Alaric hadn't even said what the issue was yet but it couldn't be anything good, not with the somber look on his face.
Not to mention Alaric would never reach out to Klaus for anything unless it involved the girls' safety.
"What about them?"
Alaric swallows. "I don't know how much Caroline's told you about their bloodline, from their birth mother."
Klaus shrugged. "Not much, understandably so, and I never felt the need to ask."
The other man nodded. "Right, um well you've been around since the beginning of time so I'm sure you've at lest heard about the Gemini Coven."
The hybrid's eyes narrowed and darkened. "It's slipped into my ear once or twice over the centuries but I've made it my mission to stay out of witch shenanigans as much as possible."
Alaric barely caught a breath when he found his back now pressed hard against the door, lifted with Klaus' hand wrapped around his jugular—squeezing tight. His eyes a wild gold with the black undertone making them more threatening.
"Now you are severely wasting my time and testing my patience, so how about you cut to the bloody chase." Klaus growled through his overlapped sharp fangs.
Struggling to breath, Alaric attempted to push the strong hand away but no such luck until Klaus loosened the grip.
Alaric couched erratically while trying to speak.
"There's a—a curse put upon every set of Gemini twins. It's called the—the merge." Cough.
Klaus's hold loosened with almost every word, granting the mortal more airway to speak.
"The result is that one twin will absorb the other..."
"What does that mean, exactly?" Klaus asked.
He sighed, rubbing his throat soothingly while looking up at the fearless man before him with fear in his eyes.
Under different circumstances, he would tease him for it.
"When the twins turn 22, they will have to participate in an inevitable duel with one another, to determine which will lead the coven...and only one is meant to survive."
And in that moment the inconvenient unbeating organ planted in Klaus' chest by a set of blonde curls and three small smiles, froze. Dropping the human man until he fell to the floor with a loud thud, not even acknowledging his intense breathing.
"Only one is meant to survive."
Playing over and over again in his head like a broken record, flooding his subconscious like a horrid nightmare and crushing him like an armored truck. Klaus' mouth hung open, eyes yellow and bugged while his hands shook.
-No, no, no, no. This wasn't supposed to happen.
How, just an hour ago he was planning on what to get them for their 17th birthday to now realizing in a few years one of them will die—
-No, no, no, no!
Klaus shook his head, beginning to pace in the small space of the room.
"No."
"No?" Alaric's eyebrows furrowed.
"No." Klaus answered. "What makes this so-called merge inevitable, hm? What if they don't go through with it?"
Alaric sighed. "They will grow weaker leading up to the day. Both their powers will deteriorate until there's nothing left."
Klaus stopped in his tracks, facing the other man before bursting into laughter.
It was a more hysterical and frightening laugh. The laughter increased by the second, sounding more crazed.
He held his stomach while catching his breath. "Let me see if I have all the facts here, you're telling me if the twins don't participate in this death match in which one is meant to die...they'll both just die anyways?"
Alaric stood there awkwardly while he watched the usually composed man slowly lose his mind before his eyes.
Klaus wasn't sure why his default in this situation was humor when nothing about it was funny—but it was either laugh or slit Alaric's throat.
His hands landed on his hips when his laughter finally ceased, face neutralized as he aimlessly starred out of the window. The last thing he wanted was for Alaric Saltzman to witness the faint tears burning his eyes.
"I did always hate witches, they always found a way to screw me over." He mumbled, causing the other man to briefly grin.
"When did you find out?" Klaus asked in a low tone.
"I'm their father Klaus. I've known before they were even born." Alaric said matter-of-factly.
He nodded, tapping his fingers against the pockets of his black jeans.
"And Caroline, when did she know?" He questioned.
Fuck.
This was it, the reveal that would tip him over the edge. Alaric knew it, felt it and was sure Klaus did as well. Licking his lips nervously, cautiously approaching the ticking time bomb.
"Klaus—"
"WHEN DID SHE KNOW!" He raised his voice, now directly in the other man's frightened face.
There was no more holding back, he didn't have the strength to.
Veins pulsing through his neck and under his golden eyes. Angry tears began to fog Klaus's vision as he starred the inferior mortal down, lips quivering and fists ready to smash anything in sight. Fear, murder and rage read all over his face. He obviously knew the answer, Klaus wasn't stupid, but he needed to hear it. He needed all of this to sink at once so he can move on from it as soon as possible.
Unfortunately 'soon' wasn't soon enough.
Alaric's silence and guilt-written demeanor was a more than sufficient reply—quite frankly Klaus would've probably ripped his throat out if he spoke again. Emotions staggering and uncontrolled as hell tried to tackle what was being thrown at him.
The twins...the girls, their girls...Lizzie...
-Why would Caroline keep something like this from him?
They didn't have secrets with each other, not anymore—not after everything they've been through and establishing a life together. Why wouldn't she confide in him with something that will effect their family?
Betrayal began to outweigh the fear.
Alaric barely flinched when Klaus threw the chair into the window, destroying the blinds and chipping the walls. Didn't even move as the room was trashed from bottom to top—chairs flying, glass breaking, plaques and frames thrashing.
This reaction was expected as well as inevitable, no matter if they told him sooner or later. Despite how much the two men mutually loathed each other, Alaric knew how much Klaus loved and cared for the twins. He knew breaking this news to him, behind Caroline's back no less, was not going to have pretty results. But he also knew there was nothing Klaus wouldn't do to make sure they were safe—that's why he trusted him with this.
Thankfully most of the students went back home for the weekend.
He examined the aftermath of the hybrid's furry, looking over the severe damages—last thing he should be worrying about.
"She should've told me..." Klaus said under his breath, pulling at his golden curls in silent frustration.
"I'm sure she had her reasons—"
"Don't give me that, don't you dare defend this!" Klaus' teeth scraped over each other violently.
"Look I get you're pissed, I do. This of course isn't something I take lightly either and I expected no less from you. I should've waited for Caroline, she doesn't even know I'm telling you. She wanted to wait—"
"Wait till what, hm, one of them doesn't show up for dinner?" Klaus huffed.
Alaric pulled his lips together. "Until we found a solution, a loophole."
Klaus turned his head with confusion on his face.
"What the bloody hell are you talking about?"
"There's a loophole for everything right?" Sounding hopeful. "I know there's a way around this as well and we've been putting it off but now we realize we can't anymore. That's why I came to you, for help because me and Caroline are at our wit's end. Every year we keep hitting dead ends and—"
"Every year?" Klaus interrupted, titling his head curiously. "Considering I've been in the twin's lives since they were able to remember my face and this has never come up in conversation, has me feeling severely out of the loop."
Alaric sighed.
"And yet here you are, thinking you can simply approach me to tell me that there's a 50/50 chance one of the two young girls I've cared for and helped raise for most of their lives is going to suffer an inevitable death and you need assurance on a bloody loophole that doesn't exist?"
He was done with Alaric, he was done with all of it.
The anger only continued to build and boil and the solution was rather simple: he needed to talk to Caroline.
"Where is she?" Klaus asked.
Alaric stood straight. "If you're going to take your anger out on someone, it should be me."
Klaus tilted his head, walking towards the other man in slow and threatening strides with his hands behind his back. Both men standing in front of each other now, chest to chest and uncertainty of what was going to happen in the next five seconds. Alaric was prepared for his head to roll on the other side of the room.
The hybrid leaned into him, his lips hovering his ear. "Saltzman, my patience is quite literally holding onto the thinnest of threads so I'll keep it brief. I don't think I have to keep reminding you that the only reason your spine is still in tact is because I allow it to be. Because my love for those girls and their mother outweighs my resentment for you." Klaus explained. "Now, you just informed me about a tragic reality that I've been kept in the dark from for a decade, a tragedy I have no control over. So I would say my anger is warranted—towards both of you."
The tension thickened as did his tone.
"Caroline is everything and more to me. I would never hurt her, even you know that." Klaus said. "But I deserve an explanation, hm? I deserve a goddam explanation and will accept nothing less. Don't play a martyr in this scenario mate, it'll only get you killed and I'll still get what I want whether you're dead or alive. Your choice, I win either way."
Alaric gulped, knowing that Klaus Mikaelson was a man of his word—specifically when it involved threats.
"Now tell me," pulling away so they were now eye to eye again. Alaric couldn't deny the obvious despair living inside the vibrant blue orbs of the now broken man.
"Where is she?"
"Okay now hold up the marquee, a bit higher..." Caroline instructed two senior witch students, closing one eye and gesturing her hands until they had it perfectly centered.
Redecorating the gym had been on Caroline's list for the past month but many Klaus-like distractions kept her preoccupied. She was insistent on accomplishing at least half of the task before the day was over.
Two hours later they only managed to throw one marquee out and drag the new one in.
"Perfect!" She squealed, making the two teenagers jump in place. "Well, I think we've done quite a bit for now. That's enough for today, we'll continue tomorrow for your second day of detention."
Caroline dismissed the students with a wide smile framing her lips—sensing his presence from behind as they exited the room.
"I was wondering when you'd finally save me from the clutches of teenage angst." She said teasingly.
Swiftly turning around to face Klaus who was now only standing a few feet from her. The baby vampire's face lit up pink and in glee at the sight of her hybrid—not granting him a chance to speak for age was already in his arms and lips meshed against his.
Balancing herself on her tippy toes and arms securely around his neck as they shared the only thing that's been on her mind all day. Her fingers twirling the curls on the back of his neck lovingly—a habit he's grown to adore.
The kiss was quick but effective.
"Hi." She smiled against his lips, eyes still fluttering. "Not to sound like a brat but I've literally been surrounded by disobedient adolescents all day and would love to distress by seducing my incredibly hot man to come to bed with me."
"Caroline—"
"Or my office?" She teased, nibbling on his bottom lip with her teeth.
Her smile infectious, kisses addictive. She was the golden temptress of all his fantasies, trapping him under her spell for eternity—and he allowed it. There wasn't another creature on this Earth who had such control over him, that made him want to forget and dive into.
Pure bliss gushing from her pores and seeping through every kiss—knowing it was solely for the love she had for him.
Their love—only making Klaus angrier.
Caroline was in a daze, a love filled daze where the only thing on her mind was shutting herself off from the world that didn't center on them. His silence was defining—Klaus never wasted a minute not talking, especially if it meant parading his lust for her.
Something's wrong...
It took her a brief moment to fall back down to Earth with a loud crash in its wake.
Klaus wasn't holding her, his hands still buried in his jeans pockets as they were when he first walked in. His face stern, jaw clenched. The warm doe gaze he only reserved for her gone—replaced by icy daggers.
He was cold, detached and unloving. Behavior he's never presented towards her.
This wasn't Klaus...this wasn't them.
Caroline cringed as her frowned deepened, still enclosing him in her embrace.
"Klaus?"
The hybrid swallowed, staring down at the woman he loved—his entire world and existence, and trying not to feel ill.
He flinched when her palm settled on his cold cheek, caressing the flesh with the pad of her thumb. Klaus recalled the amount of temple massages she would give him everyday when visiting him in New Orleans. How much he felt at peace from her gifted touch and reassuring promises.
He was no match.
Falling prey to her gentle touch, his eyes closed as he focused on the feel for just a few more moments. Reveling in the solace only she could provide, wishing he could reverse time to an hour ago when he knew nothing about merges or his teen daughters dying. Wanting to sweep it all under the rug, forgive and forget...
"Hey," her voice soft and laced with concern, "whats wrong?"
Finally opening his eyes, Klaus gave her a last glance before gently pushing her hands down—still holding her by the wrists. Brushing his fingertips over the flesh carefully.
"We need to talk." He said.
The crease in Caroline's forehead deepened with confusion. "Okay...what about?"
Klaus sighed. "I'm going to ask you something, and I need you to answer very carefully."
"Now you're scaring me."
He let out another sigh, this one heavier.
"Why didn't you tell me about the merge?" He asked.
Caroline's body visibly tensed.
"What?" She breathed.
His glare darkened, dropping her hands hastily. "That's not an answer."
She swallowed. "Who told you?"
"That's not an answer either." Klaus' voice was deep, low and threatening.
It was similar to how he spoke to his victims before killing them, not that Caroline thought she was going to meet the same fate but it's a tone he never used with her. Even the way he was looking at her was haunting. The love and light that shined through his orbs now replaced with dark disappointment
The blonde vampire felt herself panicking, knowing there was no way out of this—she didn't want a way out. Accepting the act that Klaus was going to be furious with her no matter what she said.
She watched as he paced around in a small circle, rubbing his finger over his lip.
"Klaus, let me explain."
"Explain what, hm?" He stopped to look at her. "Explain why you failed to mention that in just a few years we're going to be one child less? That one of the twins is going to be forced to live the rest of their days with the other's blood literally on their hands!"
Caroline jumped in place when a table collided with the wall, leaving a hole in its wake. Her chest never felt more heavy than watching the man she loved in distress—over her own doings.
He tugged on his curly hair aggressively, breathing harshly through his nostrils while trying to find the calm that never came.
Caroline took a cautious step towards him. "I know you're upset—"
"Upset?" Klaus laughed. "Caroline I past the point of simple anger, I'm positively livid. Even worse I feel betrayed, that I had to hear about this from bloody Alaric Saltzman and not from you. He came to me like the arrogant mortal he is with some story about a cryptic merge I knew nothing about, asking for a magical loophole that doesn't exist."
"Do they know?" Klaus asked.
Caroline pressed her lips together.
Her silence alone spoke volumes, giving Klaus the unwelcome chills and nausea.
His head hung low, trying to grasp how much a negative turn this evening took and it wasn't getting any better.
"Let me get this straight, not only did you keep this horrible secret from me but you kept it from the twins as well? Now forcing me into the impossible position of staying loyal to you or loyal to them. That line was never blurry before..."
"Damnit Klaus, will you just let me explain!" She begged.
Klaus' eyebrows lifted, crossing his arms and gesturing her to speak.
Caroline took a, much needed, deep breath. "I knew very little of the Gemini curse until the twins were five years old. That's when Alaric told me because that's when they began showing their powers. I was just as scared and angry as you are but me and Alaric had a plan, if we didn't find a loophole by their 18th birthday we would tell them. We've been searching for alternatives ever since. I never meant to hurt you or them."
Klaus was at a loss for words, not understanding any of this and feeling like he no longer knew the woman he pledged to spend eternity with.
"I don't understand...you experienced exactly what I'm feeling right now and instead of shielding me from that pain, you decided to mask it instead."
The more she spoke the more angry Klaus got, like nothing she could say would subside the pure agony he felt.
"Screw your plan. They're mature young women who know the type of bloodline they're apart of. How could you keep this from them? Me, I could eventually accept but to lie to the girls too? What mother does that?"
Caroline scoffed. "So now I'm a bad mother?"
"I didn't say that."
"But that's what you're implying."
"Don't turn this on me. I will not allow you to make me the bad guy in this scenario when you're the one who lied!"
"I didn't lie!"
Klaus huffed. "Are you really going to nitpick with me on this, really Caroline?"
Her eyes flooded with hot tears.
"I'm sorry I didn't tell you, I am!" Her voice breaking. "It wasn't intentional, it just never came up. The way you're feeling is completely valid but you have no right to judge me."
"I don't?"
"No, you don't!" Caroline barked. "You've been calling the shots your entire life. Dictating what your siblings can and can't do, then ruling a kingdom where everyone bends for you. And you're good at it, you are and you're so use to having control over everything and I know it's a hard pill to swallow when you don't. But I made a judgment call, I made a parental decision about how to protect my daughters just like you made yours about Hope."
Klaus huffed a laugh. "And there it is...so now they're your daughters?"
-Great job Caroline. Just what this argument needed.
She shook her head. "No—no I didn't mean it like that."
"Oh, but love I think you did. I mean, I obviously played no part in raising them by your side since they were children, right." Klaus began. "It wasn't me who singlehandedly taught Josie Latin at 10 years old because she wanted to read her first grimoire, that I gave her, and your mediocre instructors couldn't even enunciate the damn alphabet. It also wasn't me who aided an ill Lizzie while she experienced her first manic episode at 12. When no one else was able to break down that stone wall to see the scared but radiant girl underneath, no that definitely wasn't me. Nor was it me who cared and loved these girls like they were my own, welcomed them into my family with no hesitation or conditions. The situation with Hope wasn't even comparable so don't ever use that as ammunition against me again. That was a low blow, and you know it."
Klaus' voice breaking with almost every word, the unbearable wound coursing through his core being healed with tape. He never thought a day would come where he longed to look at anything that wasn't Caroline Forbes.
Caroline closed her eyes and took a deep breath.
Wishing for this to end quickly before one of them says something they can't take back. Caroline was already on thin ice, saying things she didn't mean and Klaus was just infuriated beyond control. This was undoubtedly the most passionate argument they've ever had since becoming an official couple.
"I didn't mean for it to come out like that, of course they're your daughters too." Caroline sighed. "I would never take that from you and I'm sorry. This is just such a mess, this whole thing is a mess and not how I wanted you to find out about anything regarding the merge. I wanted to be the one to tell you—"
"But you didn't."
She nodded. "You're right, I didn't. I was waiting for the right time—"
"Bloody hell Caroline, how are you still so naive?This isn't high school and we are not normal people in a normal family! We don't get the privilege of right times. There is no such thing in our world don't you get that?!
"Klaus..." She reached for him but he dodged effortlessly.
Their equally red and saddened eyes bore into each other's. Caroline's bottom lip shaking so much she had to bite it just to stop herself from bursting into tears.
"I trusted you." Klaus said. "There is no one in this wretched world I trust more and you lied to me, me! The one person you shouldn't keep anything from, the person who has loved you unconditionally for the past 15 years despite every fiber in my being telling me I shouldn't. Fighting my demons on a daily basis so I can give my all to you, so I can be the man you all deserve! We made promises to each other, we have a life together and a family...you should've told me. You should've trusted me."
Caroline sniffled. "I do trust you, Klaus please. That's not what this is about. I was scared and we were so happy, you were finally happy to have the family and unconditional love you've always wanted. Me and you were finally in the good place we fought so long to reach. Then the twins happened and your bond with Lizzie—"
"Don't." Klaus warned.
Caroline licked her bottom lip, wipes underneath her eyes and straightened her back.
"I can't change what's happened. I made a call, and though you might not agree it was what I thought was best at the time. With everything you've been through the past few years with Marcel and The Hollow...I didn't want to worry you about anything else. I thought me and Alaric could handle it and then you reappeared in my life and—and I just didn't want to worry you. You might not see it that way but I was looking out for you. Doesn't mean I don't love or trust you because I do...I love you so much, and I'm sorry."
Klaus pressed his trembling lips together as he stared at the beautiful woman before him—the woman who captured his heart the first night they met. The softness of her palm burned against his cold skin, not pushing her away this time. His eyes stung in rage and contemplation but not a single tear fell, too focused on the teardrops staying her flushed cheeks.
Despite what his current anger towards her, she still felt like home and that was the devastating part.
A few more moments went by before he gently grabbing her worst, he pushed her hand down and away from his face. Placing them against her side as one of his grabbed her shoulder, his hold more delicate than Caroline expected.
She froze but quickly unclenched when he leaned in to kiss her forehead, releasing a breath she didn't even know she was holding and the urge to cry into his chest was too tempting. Feeling his hurt mixing with her guilt.
His eyes screwed shut tightly while his chest heaved madly as he prolonged the simple kiss.
Rarely did Klaus ever use the three heavy words—considering words to be meaningless, much preferred showing Caroline instead but how could he love someone he couldn't trust?
Even after her explanation and justifications, Klaus' didn't feel any differently than when he first barged into the gym. Every blink produced a different image of Lizzie or Josie lying bloody and lifeless while the other stood over them.
He needed to leave, go anywhere that wasn't the boarding school or in Caroline's presence. At least for a day, maybe longer—he wasn't sure about anything anymore. Never has Klaus been more raddled and completely against himself. Not to mention how grateful he was for the twins not being around—he didn't have the stomach to see any of either right now.
His hand now cupping one side of her face as he pulled his lips away—lingering there for a little while before giving a quick kiss to her berry scented hair. Staring down at the woman who taught him how to embrace love and pain all at once.
"I love you too." Klaus said softly.
He meant it.
Not giving Caroline a chance to see him off before he was already gone.
I honestly feel there will be multiple parts to this...
REVIEWS ARE APPRECIATED.