Author's note: Caroline knows exactly who she is and is perfectly satisfied with her average, normal life. Just because she's having a weird day doesn't mean anything out of the ordinary is going on...except for that sexy, accented voice she keeps hearing in the back of her mind...
IFancyu: Thanks for the ask - I actually expanded that series of short stories into a multi-chap by the same name, A Simple Kind of Man. I'd love to get your thoughts on this work as well!
I use some quotes from canon because upon occasion, I'm a dramatic little thing. Also, the shade is strong with this one. :)
"Note for a moment do I take you for a truth that is real...You are a falsehood, you are my illness, you are a ghost."
― Fyodor Dostoyevsky, The Brothers Karamazov
The harsh scrape of curved fangs upon glass always got to Caroline. It made her cringe and she had to force her blue eyes to remain open for the duration of this dangerous task. She focused on the extraordinary beauty of the rattlesnake, from its lovely diamond-patterned bands to the keen intelligence she saw reflected in its dark eyes. As one of the foremost biochemists in the region, her expertise in herpetology, specifically her research with the Eastern diamondback, was highly sought after. Her work focused on venom extraction and studying its properties for creating effective anti-venom and other medical research. She had made several breakthroughs in her research, alleviating some of the dangerous side effects inherent in certain blood pressure medications.
She admired the broad, flat head of the snake, applying a gentle pressure at three key points as the yellowish venom was expelled. While feared as deadly and aggressive, this particular species actually made it a point to avoid human interaction and only attacked in self-defense. Caroline hated how misunderstood snakes were, and always had been drawn to powerful creatures who were seen as frightening, but in reality, were simply misunderstood. She rolled her eyes as she thought of how her friends always teased her that that's why she was still single — after interacting with dangerous creatures all day, the men in Mystic Falls seemed downright tame and predictable by comparison.
She secretly agreed with them — she craved excitement, and felt like there was something more she was missing out on.
A whole world out there waiting for you. Great cities, and art and music. Genuine beauty. And you could have all of it. She shook her head in confusion — where had that thought come from? She decided she was just distracted because she was meeting her friends, Bonnie and Elena, for drinks later that night.
She repositioned the long-handled hook that kept the rattlesnake in place, allowing the creature to coil around her forearm before carefully sliding it back into its enclosure. She catalogued the venom deposit, turning her attention to her computer screen. Pulling up her latest data spreadsheets, she grabbed her stack of colorful Post-Its and blinked in confusion when her vision swam and they somehow turned into a scrap of parchment paper. "What the hell," she muttered, tentatively touching the edges in disbelief. She gasped as she realized there was a beautifully rendered sketch of her face.
I fancy you. She whipped her head around, her loose bun nearly coming undone with the force of her movement.
She knew she was alone in the lab today, and yet she could have sworn that same, accented voice she heard earlier had returned. Sighing, she rubbed her temples, deciding she was just exhausted from the extra hours spent on her latest research tangent. In fact, when she flicked her gaze back to her desk, her colorful notes lay where she had dropped them, and there was no parchment anywhere to be seen. "That's weird," she mumbled tiredly.
When she checked her watch, she realized she'd been feeling a dull ache in her forearm all afternoon. "Must have banged it on something," she said to herself, closing out her research logs for the day to head home for a quick nap before meeting Bonnie and Elena at their local pub later that night.
The rough scrape of tree bark as it crumbled against her bare back made her gasp in pleasurable pain, closing her eyes as she reveled in the sinful, stolen moment. His sexy, accented voice purred against the shell of her ear, "I want your confession." She bucked her hips against him, twisting her body to try to see him properly, but he was strangely cast in a shadow, and she was far too focused on the thrilling sensation of his stubble rubbing against her sensitive flesh.
She could sense the power in his hands and inherently knew that while he was capable of violence, he would never turn on her. Instead, he used his strength to curve her body around his, their cries of ecstasy mingling in the forest as they clawed their way toward a primal release. While she was frustrated she couldn't see him properly, she somehow understood in her heart of hearts that he was hers. That she was safe and cherished and if she could just stay in this moment, it could be that way forever.
Caroline woke with a start, her heart pounding as she played back the sensual moments of her dream. She shook her head at her imaginative escapade. It had felt so real. She should really get out more — clearly, her dry spell had stretched on for far too long. She and Tyler had broken up...well, she couldn't exactly remember when, but it had been awhile now and she should really think about putting herself out there again.
Tyler always seemed to be away and she would miss him terribly. At the moment, she couldn't pinpoint why he always was traveling, but she knew it used to make her anxious. After his mother passed away, he seemed angry all the time. She didn't understand his anger — Carol had passed away from an accident. Caroline wrinkled her forehead as she tried to remember the type of accident; it seemed like she had drowned, but the details escaped her at the moment.
Shaking her head, she started getting ready to meet the girls. While putting on her makeup, she noticed a fine sheen of sweat dotted her forehead. That was clearly an impressive illicit dream she'd had for it to have that kind of effect on her. Or maybe she was coming down with something — she'd been feeling off all day, but continued to ignore her symptoms because she'd been working hard and deserved to have fun with her friends tonight.
You're beautiful, you're strong, you're full of light. What was that? That same sexy, accented voice had purred enticingly in her ear as she'd taken a final glance in the mirror.
Rubbing at her temple, she chose to ignore both the insistent voice she kept hearing and the slight dizziness she suddenly felt and headed toward the door. There was a perfectly logical explanation for the bizarre occurrences that had happened to her today, and she was determined to push through and enjoy her evening out with her friends. As she clutched her car keys, she relented, realizing at the very least that even a slight dizzy spell was a good indicator that she shouldn't be driving. She pulled up her phone app and accessed the Originals Taxi Service to come pick her up.
The gleaming black Escalade appeared almost instantly, the steady hum of the engine strangely comforting to her after the recent string ofoddities cropping up throughout her day. The windows were heavily tinted, so she was unable to see her driver, but as she climbed into the back, she detected a bite of cologne that seemed to ensnare her senses with its hints of citrus and leather — a warm, masculine fragrance that sent her pulse racing. The radio was playing softly, a tune that somehow felt familiar to her, but she couldn't quite place it. It sent a wave of longing through her, and she almost could feel strong arms holding her as they swayed to the romantic melody.
The evening kept the driver's face cloaked in shadow, and despite the fact that he didn't speak, she felt safe with him. She couldn't explain where the certainty came from; it was just there, and she took strange comfort in that knowledge, especially after the day's bizarre events. When she arrives at the Mystic Grill, she turns to wave at the driver, only to see that he'd already disappeared. Slightly disappointed, she headed inside, finding her favorite bartender, Enzo, behind the counter already whipping up a tray of doppelganger delights — a frothy, overly sweet drink with a surprising kick that Elena absolutely adored.
Enzo had given up long ago trying to get Caroline and her friends to embrace what he called his signature cocktail — the Salvatore Slump. He could extol its supposed virtues all he liked, but Caroline decided long ago that it was a terrible, weak drink that left you disappointed and bitter. As Enzo winked and called her "Gorgeous", she wondered yet again why it was that she couldn't seem to fall for his harmless flirtations. He was certainly attractive enough, with an accented voice and devilish smile, but something about him just didn't feel right.
He's your first love. I intend to be your last. However long it takes. The sexy voice was back, purring in her ear, and she valiantly fought to keep her expression neutral as Enzo carried on with his bawdy joke about a sentient cucumber. She rolled her eyes at his over-the-top antics, picking up the tray of drinks and carrying them over to where Elena and Bonnie were waiting. She winced slightly when she felt her forearm throb again. Shaking it off, she handed her friends their cocktails, clinking rims as she sat down. "Hey guys! Sorry I'm late. I decided to catch a ride with the Originals."
Raising an appreciative eyebrow, Elena commented, "Wow, Care, you must really be planning on tying one on tonight, huh?"
She shrugged her shoulders, surprised to notice she'd already finished her first drink. "Maybe. I dunno. I suddenly just felt so thirsty, you know?" She signaled Enzo to have another round sent to them. She grabbed her water, having to restrain herself from gulping it down like she'd been running a marathon. What was going on with her?
Bonnie sighed dramatically, "Maybe I should join you, Care. Work has been so awful lately. I feel like I've been pulled into another dimension, almost like a prison world, you know?"
Caroline hummed in agreement, finishing off her water before she could stop herself. Bonnie was always so stressed out with her job. At the moment, the details of her job escaped her, but she knew that whatever Bonnie did, it was important, but people always seemed to take her for granted. When the waitress brought over another round of drinks, she surprised the table by ordering almost every appetizer on the menu. "What? I realized I'm hungry, but honestly nothing in this place sounded good, so I figured I'd try a little of everything until something caught my interest," she said in a slightly defensive tone.
"I wish something would catch my interest," Elena muttered, taking a big sip of her cocktail. "It's been ages since someone fascinating has come to town. I'd love to get swept up in the romance of a stranger." She wiggled her eyebrows comically at her friends, adding, "Or maybe even two mysterious strangers."
Bonnie giggled, "Ooooh, maybe they could be brothers and they'd both be obsessed with you!"
Caroline shook her head at her friends' silliness. A love triangle with two brothers? Talk about causing a lot of ridiculous, completely unnecessary drama. She was pleased to see that a fun local band, Vikings with Improbable Accents, would be playing later on. She was hoping that in addition to their signature song, "Dagger Me with Your Insecurities," they'd try out some of their new material despite the fact that they'd received mixed reviews on their latest album, Wildly OOC in New Orleans.
When the appetizers arrived, she gleefully piled her plate high and began tearing into the food with gusto. She felt ravenous, but at the same time, she noticed her stomach had begun to cramp and her headache had returned full force. Hopefully, she could alleviate both once she had something solid in her system. She squinted as the overhead table light seemed to glow brighter, nearly blinding her. Grappling for her drink, she didn't bother trying to hide her thirst as she took huge, noisy gulps, finishing it off before her friends' startled eyes. She was just so thirsty.
"Care, are you feeling ok," Elena asked worriedly.
Caroline looked up, sniffing the air as the intoxicating aroma of something delicious suddenly caught her attention. It wasn't the appetizers; they were subpar at best and didn't seem to curb her enormous appetite. But whatever this new fragrance was, it made her mouth water. Ignoring the way her forearm throbbed painfully, she stood up, leaning closer to her friends to inhale the wonderful aroma coming off of them in delectable waves. "Just a taste," she snarled at them, leaping over the table intent upon finally sating her insatiable hunger.
"Caroline! You have to drink. Come on, sweetheart, that's it," he soothed, pulling her out of the nightmare in a confusing rush of salt and iron in her mouth. The tangy sharpness of the flavors brought her out of her haze and she gratefully clung to the wrist he offered until she'd had her fill.
Caroline blinked rapidly, realizing she was staring up at a pair of gray eyes ringed with gold, the urgency in his expression warming her heart. Klaus was here. Letting out a small shriek, she exclaimed, "Klaus! I remember you!" Laughing hysterically, she pulled the surprised Original into a fierce hug, breathing in his familiar scent as she felt immense relief once she recalled what happened.
She and Enzo had been doing a pub crawl in Colorado near the Rocky Mountains and didn't realize that it was a werewolf hangout where vampires weren't welcome until it was too late. They had flashed away, but Caroline had been bitten. After that, things had gotten blurry quickly, so she wasn't sure what happened afterward.
Klaus tenderly kissed her forearm, the mangled bite already fading away now that his healing blood was flowing through her. Sensing her unasked questions, he explained, "Your irritating drinking companion had the foresight to use your phone to call me, love. That's the only reason his head is still attached after he foolishly put you in danger."
A slight smirk tugged at the corners of his lips as he added, "Well, that, and he seems to have a penchant for getting under Rebekah's skin; their banter has been almost as amusing as the time Kol replaced every other page of Elijah's limited edition of Shakespeare's First Folio with Mad Magazine fold-ins artwork."
Caroline giggled at the imagery Klaus' words described, thinking that maybe she didn't have to be so hasty getting back on the road with Enzo. "Thank you for saving me," she murmured, turning to kiss him softly before resettling in his comforting arms.
"Of course, love," he rumbled, kissing the top of her tangled curls. "I don't suppose I could entice you to stay for a bit," he asked, the tentative plea in his voice endearing him to her even further.
She gave him a sly smile. "Maybe. What did you have in mind?"
Clearly encouraged by her answer, he replied, "Well, it seems I need to teach a lesson to some werewolves; perhaps you'd like to join me? But after that, perhaps we could do a few pub crawls of our own and just go from there?"
She kissed him soundly, sinking into his warmth as she realized she'd never felt peace the way it felt when she was with Klaus. Maybe her hallucinations were onto something? As they broke apart, Klaus helped her to her feet, and as she grasped his hand, she asked curiously, "By the way, have you and your family ever considered starting a band? Because I have some ideas..."
