Hi everyone! Thank you so much for the nice reviews. You guys are amazing, I am really touched by your support.
Just a word about the characters. Some of you are disappointed that they are a little bit OOC with Klaus' sweetness and Caroline being emotional. I'm fully aware of that but it was the way I wanted them. I wanted something sweet with a very protective Klaus even if it's a little bit OOC. Please give a chance to the story anyway.
Thank you to Ojazz who helped me with the grammar because English is not my first language.
I don't own anything in TVD.
Caroline had a lot on her mind. All the pain Ric had inflicted on her had refreshed her memories of being tortured by her father, not to mention the werewolves. She was strong, but this time with all the traumas piling up, she was finding it difficult to move on.
The third night after Ric had attacked her, she had the same nightmare as the previous nights. And once again, Klaus woke her up and held her in his arms so she could sleep. When she asked him why he was there, he vaguely pretended that he was "passing by" but Caroline knew better. He was checking in on her. And the thought made her….happy. She knew she shouldn't but she couldn't help it. It was incredibly comforting to know that someone as powerful as Klaus was protecting her.
The next day Tyler asked her if he could spend the night with her. Caroline agreed, hoping with all her might that Klaus wouldn't show up. She wasn't strong enough to handle a fight between the two hybrids. The anxiety kept her from sleeping for a long time. She was expecting Klaus to climb in through her window any second, and her stomach knotted at the idea. But Klaus didn't show up and even if Caroline was relieved, she couldn't help but feel a little disappointed. She turned and tossed in Tyler's arms for hours, unable to sleep. His embrace was tender but oddly Caroline couldn't help thinking about another set of arms around her. She finally drifted into sleep but the nightmare didn't let her rest. She woke up screaming and crying, clinging to Tyler. He did his best to reassure her but the nightmare came back after a while. Tyler tried to comfort her but all those memories just came flooding back every time she tried to close her eyes.
Klaus spent the entire night under Caroline's window. He was about to climb in when he heard Tyler. He hated the idea of Caroline sleeping in Tyler's arms but he cared enough about her to respect her decision. If she wanted to spend the night with his boyfriend he had no right to interfere. Boyfriend. Klaus gritted his teeth at the thought. Caroline deserved so much better than a high school boy. Tyler loved her, Klaus reluctantly admitted that. But it wasn't enough for someone like Caroline. She deserved so much more. She deserved the most beautiful things in the world. She deserved the world itself.
The first time she woke up crying and sobbing, Klaus' heart clenched painfully. God, he really hated seeing her in pain. He heard Tyler comfort her and he couldn't help but feel acutely jealous. The sound of Tyler's hands stroking Caroline's back was unbearable. The only thing keeping him from rushing to her side was that at least she would be ok now. But as he heard her scream with fear again, Klaus had to gather all his self control to not just barge into Caroline's bedroom, pull her out from Tyler's embrace and take her in his own arms. He knew he could have comforted her. He knew she would have been able to sleep if she had been with him. But she would have been mad at him for doing such a thing so he resisted the huge temptation. His heart clenched all night long with every sobs that escaped Caroline mouth. He had never felt this powerless and he hated it.
The next night he was under Caroline's window again. He heard her talking to Tyler. He wanted to stay again but Caroline gently yet firmly told him that she wanted to be alone. Klaus didn't hesitate before climbing in through the window after Tyler's departure. If she didn't want to see him, he would know it soon enough.
This time Klaus didn't try to pretend that he was "passing by". He was laying down on Caroline's bed when she came out from the bathroom in her pajamas. Klaus didn't say anything. He just looked at her with the softest smile on his lips and Caroline realized that she wasn't even surprise to see him. On the contrary, she was expecting him. It was the reason she had asked Tyler to leave. She knew Klaus wouldn't come if he was here. And truth to be told, she had missed him. She felt guilty about it but she couldn't help the way she was feeling. Klaus was able to stop her nightmares. Tyler wasn't. Maybe it was because he was the one who had saved her, or maybe because he was the strongest person on the entire planet, she didn't know. And she didn't care anymore. She had longed for his embrace the previous night. Without a word, Caroline slid under her duvet and snuggled into Klaus. It was only the fourth time she was doing it but it seemed like she had done it forever. Their bodies seemed to fit perfectly.
"Thank you" she whispered in his chest before closing her eyes.
"You're welcome, sweetheart" answered Klaus, cradling her closer to him. He tangled one of his hands in her hair and he stroked the soft curls until Caroline fell asleep.
Caroline slept like a baby and she woke up with a light smile on her lips. Klaus took a minute to gently stroke her cheeks and to look at her. She seemed peaceful and at ease. He then pressed a kiss on her forehead and disappeared without a word.
It became a routine. Klaus waited for her every night when she was ready to go to bed. She nuzzled into him and they talked, usually about Alaric, and what they were going to do about him. But progressively, they started talking about a lot of other things. Klaus was a good talker. Caroline could listen to him all night long when his was talking about his favorite countries or about his favorite painters. He was so passionate and cultured, it was enthralling. But Klaus was also a good listener. Caroline could talk to him about anything, he always listened intently. It was new for Caroline. She could share her doubts, her worries, her interrogations about her future. Nobody had ever listened to her like this. And it was addictive.
Caroline was progressively becoming an emotional wreck. Spending her nights with Klaus and her days with Tyler was becoming too much for her to handle. Tyler had noticed that something was wrong and he was becoming more and more insistent to know what it was. He didn't understand why Caroline didn't want him to spend the night with her anymore even when her mum was not home. Caroline pretended that she was too worried about the whole Ric thing but Tyler wasn't convinced. To make him stop pestering her, Caroline had to give up once and accepted that he slept in her house. She was hoping that it would be enough to make him stop asking questions she was not ready to answer yet.
The night was awful. She knew Klaus wouldn't come because he always made sure that she was alone before coming in her room. But she also knew that he would spend the night under her window. Making sure she was ok. Listening to every word and every sound coming from the room. Caroline desperately discouraged Tyler's initative to make out with her. She knew Tyler wouldn't be content with just a kiss and she was definitively not in the mood. Caroline didn't sleep that night. She could feel Klaus' presence under her window acutely. She felt so uncomfortable in Tyler's arms she wanted to scream. She turned and tossed all night long trying as much as she could not to push Tyler back. She greeted the morning with an unbelievable feeling of relief. She woke Tyler up as soon as the sun had begun to rise and she asked him to go because her mum was about to come home. Which was a lie. But she couldn't take the situation anymore. The only thing she wanted was to get out of Tyler's arms and finally be alone to think. As soon as Tyler left, Caroline collapsed on her bed, feeling so guilty and so anguished that her stomach hurt. Before she could start to try and sort out her feelings, she felt a presence in the room. Turning her head, she saw Klaus standing next to the bed. He looked as angry and sad.
"So, did you spend a good night in your boyfriend's arms?" he asked bitterly.
Caroline swallowed hard. The harshness in his voice couldn't hide the sadness in his eyes and Caroline suddenly felt very guilty.
"Not especially" she admitted softly. "It became difficult to sleep in his arms since I began sleeping in yours"
"So why are you still sleeping with him?" Klaus asked harshly.
"Because he's my boyfriend" Caroline answered pitifully.
Klaus scoffed. "Does your boyfriend know that you spend most of your nights in another man's arms?"
Caroline flinched at the coldness in his voice. Unable to look at him, she looked away, biting nervously her lips. Klaus suddenly sat on the edge of the bed and took her roughly by the shoulders.
"Answer me Caroline" he ordered harshly. "Does your boyfriend know that you spend most of your night in my arms?"
Still unable to look at him Caroline shook her head as she tried to fight back the tears that were threatening to spill anytime now. Klaus momentarily hesitated at Caroline's obvious distress. He couldn't bear to see her upset. But he had to know what she was doing to him.
Putting a finger under her chin, Klaus made Caroline look at him.
"You feel something for me Caroline. Otherwise you wouldn't allow me to be here every night. What is keeping you from breaking up with Tyler then?"
Caroline swallowed but shook her head, unable to answer. She knew she would burst into tears if she so much as opened her mouth. But Klaus was not in the mood to let it go.
"Answer me Caroline" he said, a little louder this time.
Caroline sniffed. "I can't break up with Tyler. He went through hell to break the sire bond just for me. How could I let him down now? And I love him" Caroline added quickly before Klaus could say anything.
Klaus scoffed. "Yes you love him so much that you are unable to spend a night in his arms anymore" he spat.
Caroline felt of pang of hurt in her stomach at the remark. She was so emotional and confused that all of it suddenly exploded because of Klaus' harshness.
"This is all you fault" she yelled all of a sudden. "You are the reason he left, you are the reason things are not the same between us anymore, you are the one who destroyed our relationship!"
Klaus' face twisted in anger. His jaw suddenly clenched as his eyes flashed with fury.
"Is this what you really think?" he asked icily. "Don't worry Caroline, I won't come between you anymore. You won't see me again. I wish you a happy life with your boyfriend." Klaus couldn't have put more scorn in the word "boyfriend" and Caroline looked at him as if he had hit her.
Klaus turned his back to her and rushed towards the window. Caroline suddenly felt a wave of panic rise in her chest. He couldn't leave now. He couldn't leave her. Not like this, after all those harsh words.
Without thinking about it, Caroline flashed in front of Klaus and threw herself in his arms.
"Don't go, please don't go, please, please" Caroline was now fully crying and she was pleading in between sobs. She slid her arms behind his neck and pressed herself against him, whispering desperately in the crook of his neck.
"I'm sorry, please don't go, I need you, please" Caroline's pleas turned into begs as Klaus didn't move an inch to hold her. He was frozen against her, unable to decide what to do. He closed his eyes, unable to see her cry. He wanted to go and leave her to think about their argument but his arms seemed to a have their own will. They slowly wrapped themselves around Caroline' waist and pulled her closer to him. Klaus didn't miss the sigh of relief that escaped her lips as she felt his arms around her and the sound made him melt. He mentally cursed her for making him so weak and vulnerable. He did not do emotional, damn it. But now that she was in his arms again, nothing could have made him let her go. He took her to the bed and lay them down without breaking the embrace. Caroline nuzzled into him, tangling her legs with his and wrapping her arms across his chest. Klaus sighed, knowing that there was absolutely no way he could stay mad at her when she was crushed against him like this.
"I'm sorry" Caroline whispered, tears still perceptible in her voice. "I know that what I'm doing is wrong for both of you. I just don't know what to do. Please give me some time to figure things out. Please."
She was pleading again and Klaus closed his eyes. He couldn't deny her anything when she was begging like this.
He nodded. "I'll give you some time Caroline, but you have to make a decision. We can't keep going on like this."
"I know" Caroline mumbled. "I will, I promise. Will you stay with me for a while?" she asked, her puppy dog eyes on Klaus. Klaus sighed and wondered since when he, the big bad hybrid, had become so whipped by a girl.
"Alright, love" he answered, mentally cursing himself as he complied with her wishes yet again. But as Caroline smiled and whispered a thank you in return, he suddenly realized that he would do anything to deserve that smile again.
Thank you so much for reading. I would love to know what you think about the chapter so please let a review :-) It always makes my day.