Author's note: This is a sequel to Chapter 47 - What Makes Up a Monster in my series, A Beautiful Symmetry. This was written for Klaroline Bingo klaroline-events. P.S. See if you can spot my shameless plug for another of my stories. :)
Prompt: "What do you mean you're a vampire?" Klaus may have played the lead in a wildly successful monster movie franchise, but it never occurred to him that there was any truth to the stories.
Warning: Angst. Also, some sexy times! Plus, I lost count of all the TO shade. :)
"Some birds are not meant to be caged, that's all. Their feathers are too bright, their songs too sweet and wild."
― Stephen King, Rita Hayworth and Shawshank Redemption: A Story from Different Seasons
Maybe the plastic vines wrapped around that twit's neck would strangle her. Caroline watched in irritation as the twit actress Camille pretended to struggle with the vines, whose pointy thorns were somehow supposed to mean the demise of Klaus' character, Hell's Hybrid. They were a couple of weeks into filming the movie in the immensely popular franchise, Hell's Hybrid 5: Terrible Tears in New Orleans, and Camille's hilariously awful overacting coupled with her exaggerated facial expressions only had gotten worse.
But what had gotten better was the view. The familiar clip-clop noise of Klaus' cloven hooves drew her attention, and she eyed his muscular chest appreciatively. It had been decades since a human had captured her interest like this; every covert wink and sly smirk of his had her blushing like a schoolgirl and she couldn't wait to drag him back to his trailer for some in-depth makeup removal.
Their initial meeting had been memorable — he'd assumed she was either a stripper or a hooker his brother had hired, and she'd been so charmed by his appreciation for '60s horror movie makeup that she'd thrown caution to the wind and revealed that she'd been the mastermind who'd created those designs. Because she was a vampire.
"What do you mean you're a vampire?" Klaus' reaction hadn't been unexpected once he'd seen her black veins and sharp fangs, but once he'd calmed down, he'd bombarded her with questions about her experience in the movie industry over the past century. His enthusiasm was endearing. Klaus had been reduced to a wide-eyed fanboy when he heard about his favorite actors from his childhood.
"You mean the Pageant Screams reaper's stunt double also was in Chupacabra Cheerleaders? AND he ad-libbed that harvest scene in Cutthroat Coven?"
"Yes, and then the writers forgot to tie his speech back into the main plot, so there were all kinds of embarrassing loopholes with the harvest witches' ancestral magic. So, I just added more blood spurts to the makeup special effects to distract the audience," she cheekily explained, heart fluttering a bit at Klaus' delighted laughter.
"Doesn't someone's nose need to be powdered," Camille snidely asked, jarring Caroline from her thoughts.
Caroline blinked back her monster who'd been a bit on edge after she missed her snack because the extras required prosthetic touchups. Twit actress did not want to light this particular fuse. "Yours certainly does, but I sent one of the PAs for the really big sponges first. It must be awful to be cursed with an oil slick for skin."
She'd always been a petty bitch, and there was nothing more satisfying than putting someone in their place right after they'd failed to put her in hers. Caroline's blue eyes twinkled with malice as Camille valiantly searched for a comeback.
They both were distracted when the scene broke and Klaus began to towel off, sending Caroline a flirtatious wink that made her cheeks turn rosy. Camille hissed venomously in her ear, "Just remember, you'll never be more than Klaus Mikaelson's side piece."
"Easy, love," Klaus murmured as he reached her side, "I assume you've no interest in showing your lovely second visage to the rest of the crew?"
Caroline rolled her eyes as they walked back to his trailer. "Your groupies are getting ridiculous. This morning, I caught the one with the perpetual pout adding laxatives to my spiced chai."
"Bloody hell — we should report that to Enzo. As director, he could kick her off the movie."
She was touched by the concern she heard in his voice, but she waited until they were safely inside his trailer before she kissed him. "You're sweet, but it's not necessary. Most human drugs have little effect on my kind. Besides, I really enjoyed making her think she'd drank my tea by mistake."
Klaus chuckled as he sat beside her on the couch. "I suppose you've acquired...groupies over the years as well," he asked, determinedly trying to keep his tone light.
"I've never been one for blood bunnies," Caroline sarcastically replied, hating the twinge she felt when their conversations brushed up against anything too real. "Besides, human relationship are hard — they pretty much have to give up their world for yours in order to keep your secret. It's not an easy life."
The small circles he traced on her back were soothing. His voice was hesitant as he commented, "It sounds lonely. I can't imagine what it would be like to not have..." he quieted, an awkward silence between them as Caroline realized he was going to say family.
It was one of the first things he'd asked about once he'd gotten over his shock at her revelation of the supernatural world. He was very close with his siblings, and it seemed to pain him to learn that she didn't have a family. Smiling brightly, she laced their fingers together and teased, "It's not so bad. I've gotten to meet giants in the industry — Lugosi, Garbo, Hepburn, Crawford...you..." she trailed off with a knowing smile.
He snorted softly, "I'm not an industry giant."
"Not yet," she replied, playfully poking one of his dimples. "But I predict Klaus Mikaelson will go on to do great things."
Klaus' gray eyes suddenly lit up, his handsome face breaking out into a silly grin as he told her excitedly, "Actually, I do have some news that I'm really excited to share. I received word today that I've been cast as the co-lead in A Simple Kind of Man!"
Caroline let out an excited squeal at his news. Industry insiders were vying for a piece of Spielberg's bold, sweeping Norse saga. Even a year out from pre-production, it already had garnered more than its fair share of Oscar buzz. "That's amazing news," she replied, pulling him in for a fierce hug, "I told you you'd be a giant in this industry! With your talent, it was just a matter of time!"
He laughed, a slight flush staining his cheeks as he enthusiastically continued, "My agent and publicist are planning a big media blitz, so you can't say anything yet, but this adds a whole new layer to my career. I can parley this opportunity into even bigger and better roles and create a legacy; I'll be more than just a mere footnote in the industry."
Her smile dimmed at his words, but she did her best to keep it in place. She'd watched Klaus on and off the set over the past couple of weeks and he breathed so much life into the silly Hell's Hybrid franchise. He was meant to be a star. He craved it. He wanted to settle into a career that lasted decades; to become the next McKellen or Hopkins. It would be an amazing life for him. And one she couldn't be a part of.
"Sweetheart, what is it?"
She shook her head, blue eyes shining with unshed tears that she furiously blinked away. It was stupid to mourn something before it had the chance to become something. "It's nothing. I'm really happy for you, Klaus. It's everything that you deserve and I know you'll be amazing." She lowered her gaze, unsure of how to explain. "You desire the spotlight, and I want you to have it. But being what I am, it's a place I can't follow."
His crestfallen expression hurt her heart, and she gave a half-shrug, chuckling darkly, "Us monsters have to stick to the shadows."
"You're not a monster," Klaus quickly disagreed, "and the time we've spent getting to know each other has been amazing. We're building toward something that could be incredible — don't you want that?"
Damn it. His pleading, earnest tone made Caroline want to weep. "Of course I do." She held his face in her hands, desperate for him to understand. "But your world is about to get a lot bigger and way more complicated. That spotlight you crave is blinding and everyone will want a piece of you. And they'll definitely want to know everything there is to know about the mysterious makeup artist who's caught your eye."
Her voice became a harsh whisper. "My survival depends on anonymity. It's not how I want it, but that's the way it has to be." She surged forward, capturing his lips with hers. They'd carried on a flirty relationship since they began working together, trading a few sweet kisses here and there, but it was nothing compared to this. This was fire and carnal need and her skin vibrated under his roaming touch as they sank together on the couch.
Klaus pulled back slightly, his lips still hovering over hers and his tone rueful as he asked, "How are we supposed to walk away from this?"
A tear escaped as she replied with a soft sigh, "We just have to." Caressing his cheek, she tentatively questioned, "But maybe we could have this first. Can one night be enough?"
Gray eyes blazed as he swore, "One night with you would never be enough. But it will have to do." He brought his mouth down on hers in a punishing kiss, his hands roaming over her body as though trying to memorize every line.
She purred in delight when he yanked her fuchsia tank top over her head, nibbling at his collarbone as he groaned above her. All those hours he'd spent in her makeup chair had been sweet torture as she'd done her best to avert her eyes from the tight-fitting shorts he always wore. But now, she let her hands roam with wild abandon, eagerly palming him as his flesh twitched in pleasure.
"I want you," she panted, hooking her thumbs under his waistband to slide down the material underneath his rock-hard cock. She let out a giggle as he accidentally kicked over the side table, scattering his werewolf claws and cloven hooves.
With a sexy growl, he ducked his curly head to lightly bite at her exposed hip, dragging down her ruffled skirt until she was bare before him. His lusty gaze made her feel desired. Like she wasn't a monster. Caroline let fingers wander down her belly, teasing him as she barely grazed her clit.
"Fuck yes," Klaus breathed, staring hungrily at her.
He liked to watch. She licked her lips when he joined her, their fingers gently sliding into her warmth, slow, steady pumps that built up that golden sensation to make her weak. She was so close to the edge, but he pulled away at the last moment, plunging their fingers into his mouth with a satisfied grin.
She parted her thighs, a low moan escaping her lips as he positioned his slick tip, slowly rubbing against her. That first thrust wrecked her, their bodies crashing against each other as she cried out in pleasure. It was a thing of beauty to watch his muscles flex and strain to please her, and she wrapped her legs around his waist to bring him closer. She needed to touch every part of him.
Klaus bucked into her, keeping up the punishing pace as she started to ride out the waves of ecstasy. One final, deliciously dirty grind had them both seeing stars, their moans threading together in a steady hum of bliss.
"You're a bloody revelation," he panted, pulling her into his arms as they settled back on the couch.
Caroline breathed in Klaus' citrus and cedar scent, idly wondering if she'd carry him on her skin once they were done. She wanted to remember everything from this moment. "And you're wonderful," she sighed regretfully.
His embrace immediately tightened, and she did her best to relax her body against his. Klaus' tone was gruff as he asked, "So, this is it — we somehow manage to walk away?"
This is it. Caroline knew all of her reasons by heart — even if Klaus had no intention of pursuing fame, he'd never be able to keep her secret — he and his siblings were close and at some point, he'd feel that burden of not being honest with them. Plus, he loved being a star. And as his star shined brighter, paparazzi would swarm them, picking apart every detail of their lives. And then they might find out about her.
Heart thudding in her chest, she leaned over to give him a lingering kiss, traitorous tears clinging to her lashes by the time it ended. Once he opened his eyes, she took a breath, hating what would happen next. "Klaus, I want you to listen." It was difficult to keep her tone even and melodic, but she pressed on knowing it was important that she did this right. She summoned her monster, letting her eyes widen as she captured his gaze.
He looked at her with so much trust. There was a sadness that settled over him, almost as though he instinctively knew what was she was going to do. "I wish I could trust you, but I can't take the risk. This is how I survive. It was impulsive and stupid for me to show you what I am, but we had this connection and I couldn't help myself. I'm selfish."
Caroline hated his blank stare. The one that she put there. "You won't remember the time we've spent together. You won't remember what I am. I'm merely a makeup artist for your movie and while we've exchanged a few words, you barely know me."
"I barely know you," Klaus mumbled flatly, still dazed from her compulsion.
She choked back a sob, quickly pulling on her clothes and leaving his trailer. She didn't look back.
She'd mercifully managed to avoid Klaus the next day, compelling Enzo to insist Davina handle Klaus' monster makeup while she focused on the group of extras that were filming the Abattoir scene. The unnecessarily dark scene because Enzo stupidly had thought that he was establishing a gothic atmosphere, but instead would just give the moviegoers eyestrain when they tried to see the actors. She threaded her way through the giggling extras, in desperate need of a caffeine fix if she was going to make it through the day's grueling shooting schedule.
"Come on, you're telling me you've never hit that?"
Caroline stopped short, realizing that was Tyler's voice. Tyler was part of Klaus' growing entourage, and his main function seemed to be partying on Klaus' dime. One more exclusive Arcadius diamond timepiece and she was compelling Tyler to give sponge baths at the retirement home in the Valley.
She cautiously peeked around the edge of the fireplace set, noting with a pang that Klaus somehow looked even better today. Of course he would — he hadn't been up tossing and turning all night. Because he didn't remember.
He ran a hand through his curls, tossing an irritated look at Tyler. "Caroline's a makeup artist for this movie and while we've exchanged a few words, I barely know her." Fuck. Caroline felt that all the way down to her toes. You did this. Those are the words you compelled Klaus to say. You aren't allowed to be upset.
"Whatever. She'd probably be a clingy one-night stand anyway."
Klaus glared at Tyler, a hint of a growl in his tone as he said, "Don't be daft. I suspect one night would never be enough."
