Chapter 4: When I was just a little girl…

It had just turned to spring after Caroline's thirteenth birthday and she was running through the gardens of the Mikaelsons' country home, as she stumbled into the green house, searching for shelter from Kol who was playing hide and seek with her and Rebekah. Since Kol was merely three years older than them he'd still sometimes stoop to play with the girls, almost always making them squeal and scream with delight as he tried to catch them to throw them into the lake or something similar.

At the same time, Caroline felt quite grown up and smart, as most children do at that age.

So, as she crouched down behind Esther's expensive tulips that had arrived from a place called Holland some days ago, she tried to huddle as lady- like as possible, thereby maintaining her newly gained worldly and grown up air.

That was, until Caroline realised she wasn't alone in the green house. As she carefully peeked around the corner of some bushes, she saw Finn, the oldest son of the Mikaelson family at 33, leaning against a table in the middle of the room, a young housemaid Caroline had last seen at breakfast perched between his body and the table edge.

They were currently in what appeared to be a heated embrace and Caroline blushed furiously as she heard the sultry moan that escaped the girl's lips as Finn's mouth trailed along her throat. Caroline could not look away. She stared in wonder as the maid yanked Finn's mouth back to her own, obviously enjoying the way their lips moved together.

Caroline was so entranced, the kissing couple probably would have caught her, if she hadn't been woken from her daze by Kol calling "Care-Bear, where are you?" from outside. Finn and his companion were too busy to hear him.

Cautiously Caroline crept backwards on her hands and knees, holding her breath until she finally made her way out of the green house door without being caught.

She sighed a breath of relieve as a hand clamped down on her shoulder.

"Gotcha!" Kol exclaimed triumphantly, grinning down at her, "Did you actually believe I wouldn't see you if you crouched down?"

Caroline squeaked and jumped to her feet, pushing Kol away from the green house, causing her friend to eye her suspiciously.

"What happened? Are you blushing?" Glancing at the green house, Kol made a move towards it as Caroline shrieked "Don't!", before turning on her heels and racing off into another direction.

She never asked Kol whether he went into the green house and saw why she had been blushing, but as she ran away Caroline couldn't shake the joyful expression and the sound of pleasure the housemaid had made when Finn kissed her.

After that, Caroline's curiosity about kissing and intimacy with men had started to occupy quite a bit of her thoughts. So, about a month later, when Klaus returned home from school, she had done the one thing she could think about: She had asked him about it.

"What do you mean?" he asked her as they were sitting next to a little pond, a place they had often talked at while growing up.

"I just asked you: How does a kiss feel?" Caroline voiced and she could see a faint blush at his neck.

"Why would you ask me something like that, Caroline?" Klaus' voice was sharp and his body visibly tense. Caroline just shrugged.

"I saw Finn kissing a maid and I merely wondered if it actually felt as pleasurable as she seemed to find it," she told him matter-of-factly, making him stare at her.

"You saw Finn do what?"

"Don't worry, he did not realize I was there," she interrupted him dismissively, waving her hand in an exasperated manner, "but I saw and it made me think. And since the only to gentlemen I could ask were you or Kol, since Elijah would never be an option, Henrik is too little and let's be honest, Kol is kind of an idiot and would not let me see the light of day if I asked him about something like this, I had to ask you." She took a deep breath and he just continued to stare at her, speechless.

"So, tell me," she continued, urging him on, "what does it feel like?"

Klaus gulped, leaning back on his elbows.

He hesitated for a moment, his thoughts clearly flying.

"I don't know, Caroline, it just feels good. Great, to be honest, but I don't know how I could describe it to you better or if I even should."

She thought about that for a moment, her face grave, before nodding.

"I guess I'll just have to experience it then!" she stated and he nearly lost his balance.

"W-what?!" he exclaimed, sitting up straight.

"Yes, since it's so indescribable I believe I'll have to kiss somebody to know what it feels like."

She smiled at him and it took him a moment to realize she was waiting for him to offer his assistance.

"No way, love, I cannot kiss you!" he declared and her face fell.

"Why not?"

"Because," he started, hesitating again since his thoughts tumbled over themselves in his head, "because…"

She was watching him with those huge, innocent blue eyes and he gulped.

"Because I'm nine years older than you and it would not be proper!"

She huffed, crossing her arms in front of herself.

"Please, since when have you become a stickler for propriety?" she declared, "You call me pet names and we are currently alone at a pond. If you truly cared about propriety a maid would have to be present at all times."

"Maybe we should take a maid if you're planning to take advantage of me!" he burst out, immediately realizing how stupid he sounded.

She giggled. "You make me sound like the big bad wolf from a fairy tale," she smiled, as he ruffled his blond hair nervously.

"Please," she whispered, edging closer to him. "If you won't kiss me I'll have to ask Kol and he would probably do it without hesitation and then I'd probably never want to kiss anybody again." Caroline made a face and even though Klaus felt a hot sting of jealousy at the mention of his brother kissing Caroline, he had to grin.

"You're sounding a little melodramatic now, love," he chuckled, which made her pout.

"Seriously, Klaus, you have to kiss me! It is driving me mad!"

Klaus looked at her, at the way her locks tumbled down her shoulders, at the sparkle in her eyes.

He sighed.

"I can't, sweetheart. Just wait until your debut. I promise you the gentlemen will try to kiss you, if nothing else." Klaus stood up as she blushed. This conversation had to be over.

"Let's go back, dinner will be ready any minute," he told her, starting to walk back towards the house.

For a moment Caroline said nothing, and he wondered if she was following him or not, when he heard her, faint as a whisper.

"Please, Nik?"

He stopped in his tracks, his heart heavy. Whenever she called him Nik his heart skipped a beat, marvelling at the familiarity of the sound of her voice, at the intimacy a simple nickname could create. Slowly, he turned around, staring at her. She was standing behind him, the sunlight glittering on the water behind her and her hands clutched the hem of her skirts. Still, she was looking at him directly, her gaze fierce and a crimson blush grazing her cheeks.

"Please, Nik!" she repeated, this time more determined and took one step towards him.

Klaus shot an accusing glance towards the heavens. Why did God tempt him like this?

Closing the distance between them, Klaus leaned down towards her, rather then swept her off her feet as he would normally do when kissing a girl and touched his lips to hers.

He was gentle, the lightest touch of his lips to hers and even though a raging animal roared in his chest at the feeling of her mouth against his, he kept himself at bay, giving her what had to be the perfect first kiss.

When he pulled away she looked stunned, her eyes wide with wonder, the way she looked at the Christmas decorations every year. For a moment, Klaus was very pleased with himself. Until she opened her mouth.

"That was all?" she asked, innocence in her voice.

He couldn't help himself.

"I beg your pardon?"

She looked at him, startled and raised her hands in front of herself, trying to weaken her words.

"No, I mean it was nice and all, but… I just thought there might be more," she told him and he couldn't believe his ears.

"Nice?" he repeated.

"I mean, more than nice, obviously," she stammered, "perfectly fine, uhm, pleasing."

With every word leaving her mouth Klaus's pride was pricked a little more. Without a warning he pressed her against himself, capturing her mouth with his again, kissing her more forceful and deeply.

When his tongue, still tentatively, traced the lines of her lips he heard her moan softly and when her hands grabbed his shoulders to steady herself he pushed away, his heart racing.

"There is so much more," he murmured against her lips, pecking them one last time before slowly making her stand on her own.

As he looked at her now – dazed and thoroughly kissed – he could see a hint of the woman she might soon become. Suddenly he realized he might like Miss Caroline Forbes, only thirteen years at the moment, a little too much.

"Let's go back now, love," he whispered, taking her hand and placing it in the crook of his arm. She followed him silently. When they reached the building she looked at him, giving him a small smile.

"Thank you, Nik," she murmured, before dashing up the stairs. The next three days she wouldn't speak to him, only blushing when she saw him, causing Rebekah to ask whether he had offended her dearest friend.

Klaus realized that Caroline had not told anyone about their encounter.

After that, their relationship seemingly got back to normal, but Klaus, who needed to learn more about his position as a Duke, started having more obligations, less time and therefore somehow managed not to see Caroline in more than six years.


Standing at the edge of the ballroom, Caroline sipped a bit of punch. Her encounter with Klaus that morning had caused old memories to resurface. She sighed. Maybe it was because her heart had still been childish and easily impressed when Klaus kissed her, but no other kiss had ever felt as good as the one next to the pond.

Not when Tyler Lockwood had kissed her at a little garden party when she was sixteen and not when Matt, Rebekah's now husband, had mistaken her for her friend and kissed her in the hallway last year. (Though both kisses had been pleasant, of course.)

Looking around, Caroline felt bored, so she tried to find one of her friends. Hadn't she just caught a glimpse of Bonnie's light yellow gown at that corner? Inconspicuously making her way towards the other side of the room, Caroline nodded and curtsied at people until she was standing right in front of a little cove at the edge of the room that was hidden by a curtain.

"Stop it, Kol," Bonnie was just saying, her voice only half loud, "I don't know why you are doing this, but it needs to stop."

Resisting the urge to peek behind the curtain, Caroline held her breath.

"I don't know why you won't believe me, Bonnie," Kol murmured, his voice so different from the normally carefree and joking one Caroline knew, "I really like you. I probably always have! You intrigue me, Bonnie Bennett, and I don't know why you won't let me court you properly!"

Caroline gasped, clasping a hand over her mouth. She had seen the way Kol acted around Bonnie, but she had never thought anything of it. After all, he was Kol. A jokester. A rogue. Well known for his escapades.

But then, if Caroline thought about it, there had not been much talk about him these last months.

"You just can't!" Bonnie insisted, "I swear, if this is some kind of prank, Kol Mikaelson, I will kill you!"

Behind the curtain, Caroline heard Kol cross the space and then Bonnie's gasp and what had to be the rustling of something – or someone- against her dress.

He wasn't kissing her, was he? Caroline blushed.

After a moment, she could hear Bonnie's shallow breathing and a low whisper of Kol.

"Just so you know, I wanted to do that every moment we were together since I saw you last September at my mother's garden party. I'm not joking. I like you and you will be mine, Bon."

Caroline blushed even more as she realized they were standing right behind the curtain. She shuffled away, trying not to get caught eavesdropping, nearly crashing into Klaus, who was walking towards her.

"Klaus," she shrieked, as his hands steadied her, "how unexpected to see you."

Klaus stared at her for a moment, before releasing her shoulders.

"I believe I told you I would attend tonight," he murmured and she blushed even more.

"Of course you did, how silly of me," she stammered. Again, he watched her curiously, before glancing behind her where Kol just emerged from the cove.

"Brother," Klaus greeted, staring again at Caroline, "how nice to see you here."

Kol looked startled, walking over to them, as Caroline looked at Klaus pleadingly, silently motioning to him not to mention anything.

"Niklaus," Kol nodded towards his brother, "Miss Forbes," he continued, "how nice to see you two."

Caroline merely nodded, waiting for Bonnie to join their awkward circle, but the other girl did not come out.

"I was just asking Caroline to dance, Kol. So, if you don't mind, we'll be off," Klaus suggested, taking Caroline's arm and promptly leading her away, before Kol could even answer.

"Please tell me you weren't behind that curtain with Kol, love," Klaus whispered next to her ear as they walked towards the dance floor and she shook her head slightly.

"No, of course not. I just might have overheard something I shouldn't have," she murmured and he grinned.

"A secret? And about my brother? How intriguing. Do tell!"

Caroline smiled, her heart beat slowly going back to normal.

"A lady never tells," she stated matter-of-factly, making Klaus frown.

"You know I might have my ways to make you talk," he answered and she giggled at the way his voice sounded.

"You might intimidate other ladies with that tone, but not me, my lord," she told him, her smile widening as they took their positions on the dance floor, "you could never intimidate me. I'm not afraid of you."

Klaus only chuckled in response and with that, they started to dance.


Author's Notes:

Okay, so a little flashback to the Klaroline childhood.

I know the age difference is harsh, but that's the way it was in Elizabethan Times. (and their age difference in VD is worse…)

I hoped you enjoyed it, as well as the little peek at Bonnie/Kol.

I love to hear your thoughts!

Hugs,

Ria