Hi everyone! Thank you very very much for the nice reviews, I am sooo happy that you still like the story!
Once again, for those who are complaining that Klaus and Caroline are a little bit OOC and that things are rushed between them, it's a fanfiction guys, it's NOT supposed to be realistic. The whole purpose of a fanfiction is, first of all having fun by writing it, and second of all, make the characters do whatever you want them to do even if (especially if!) it's not realistic. Please remember that when you read the story. Thank you so much again for the amazing support, it means a lot.
Please notice that this chapter is not beta reading because my beta is on holidays and I didn't want to wait too long to update. Please be nice with any mistakes you could find and remember that English is not my first language.
I don't own anything in TVD.
Caroline had never felt so lost and so confused. She had become completely addicted to the nights she was spending in Klaus' arms. He was always so sweet and so tender with her, it made her melt. He was the only one able to comfort her and to make her feel safe. His strong embrace had become indispensable to her, but Caroline was unable to stop seeing Tyler. They had been through so much together that she couldn't think about breaking up with him. She felt so guilty about him that she had a constant knot in her stomach. She was waking up with the knot every morning and she was carrying it all day long. The knot only loosened when Caroline was seeing Klaus waiting for her on her bed, and that she could slide in his arms.
Tyler and her were fighting all the time. Tyler was urging her to tell him what was wrong, but Caroline was always telling him that she was scared about the threat that Ric was. Tyler didn't really believe her but he didn't know what to do. Caroline tried as much as she could to avoid any intimate situations with him but it was not always easy. Tyler was more and more demonstrative with her as he could feel he was losing her and was desperately trying to get her back.
The worst part was that Tyler was always even more clingy when they were in front of Klaus. They all had to spend a lot of time together in order to counter Alaric's plans, and Tyler always made sure to tightly hold Caroline in his arms when Klaus was here. Klaus had to grit his teeth every time to prevent himself from throwing at Tyler's face that it was HIS embrace that Caroline was craving at night. He knew that Caroline wouldn't have forgiven him so he was clenching his jaw and gripping his fists, dying to rip Tyler's heart off his chest.
Klaus was reaching his breaking point. He was not known for his patience and the whole situation was driving him crazy. He was not one to share and knowing that Caroline still had some intimacy with Tyler was unbearable. Nothing intimate had ever happened between them but knowing that Tyler had the right to put his hands on her was infuriating him. Klaus cared about Caroline. Genuinely. Having her in his arms was heaven and he was proud to know that he was the only one able to comfort her when she was scared. He truly loved to know that she felt so safe and secure in his arms but Klaus was also a man. A man who had feelings for a woman he was spending all his nights with. Holding her in his arms. Feeling every curves of her body against his. And it was harder and harder to content himself to just embrace her. Every time she was pressed against him, the only thing he could think about was ripped her pajamas off and ravage her body. His need for her was becoming so strong that it was painful and he didn't know for how long he could keep handling this.
Klaus was sat on the Grill, trying to drown all his frustration in a bottle of bourbon. He was wondering how many time he could keep going on like this without really lose his sanity when he noticed Caroline and Tyler entering the Grill together. They didn't see him and they sat in the corner of the room. Tyler slid his arm around Caroline's waist and Klaus noticed she immediately tensed. He heard Tyler scoff in disbelief.
"What is it, Care? You seem so nervous every time I touch you, what does it mean?"
"It doesn't mean anything" Caroline answered quickly. "How am I supposed to be in a romantic mood when we have a serial killer after us?"
Tyler seemed unconvinced. "You keep telling me this but I can feel that you are distant with me. Why do you refuse to talk to me about it?"
"I'm not distant, Tyler, just preoccupied."
"So, prove it" Tyler asked teasingly.
Klaus tensed immediately, feeling in his very core that he wasn't going to like what was about to happened. And he was right. He saw Caroline took Tyler's face in his hands and kiss him. If he wasn't as devoured by the jealousy he would have notice that the kiss was more desperate than passionate but he wasn't able to think anymore. With a low growl, Klaus suddenly flashed in front of Caroline and Tyler. They both jumped in surprise and Caroline gasped when she saw him. Klaus didn't even spare a glance to Tyler. His eyes were focused on Caroline and there were so much pain and so much sadness in them that Caroline immediately felt on the verge of tears. Klaus kept looking at her a few moments and then he flashed out of the Grill.
He didn't know what he did after that. The rest of the day was a blur of bourbon and blood. Klaus just noticed at night that his steps had carried him until Caroline's house, out of habit. His first move was to turn around and leave but he suddenly changed his mind and climbed the window, not bothering to listen if Caroline was alone. She was. She was pacing in her room, her beautiful face twisted in anxiety. As soon as she saw Klaus, she threw herself in his arms and burst into tears.
"I'm sorry" she cried "I'm so sorry, I didn't know what to do, I'm sorry." Caroline tried to press herself against him but Klaus was not in the mood. He took her two wrists in his hands and pulled her away from him. Caroline's heart clenched painfully when she noticed the harsh look on his face. Klaus was not angry but he was determined. He had reached his breaking point and he couldn't keep going on like this.
"This is not possible anymore Caroline. You can't keep spending your nights in my arms and your days in Tyler's arms. I can't stand it anymore. You have to make a choice."
Klaus' voice was extremely controlled and it made the situation even worse. Caroline would have preferred he yelled at her or even throw her on the wall rather than this cold and measured voice. His voice was never like this when he was talking to her. It was always warm and tender, sweet even. This voice devoid of any feelings was cutting Caroline's limbs as painfully as a knife. She tried desperately to come against him but he was holding her wrists firmly and he didn't let her come any closer.
"I care about you Caroline. Genuinely. And I can't stand the idea of sharing you. I want you to be mine as much as I want being yours. I'm not going to keep coming in your room at nights Caroline."
A painful sob escaped Caroline's mouth at his words. She tried again to slide her arms behind his neck but he didn't allow her to free her hands.
"Please don't do that" she whispered desperately "please, you know I need you, please" Caroline was sobbing now but this time Klaus didn't soften.
"If you need me you're going to have to choose me Caroline. Because I'm not sharing you anymore. Either you are with Tyler or you are with me but you can't have us both. I gave you time enough to figure out what you wanted and now you have to make a choice."
Klaus let go of her wrists to take her face in his hands. Caroline immediately clung on his shirt but Klaus didn't let her distract him.
"Have you any idea of how hard it is for me to hold you in my arms every night? I can feel every curves of your body against mine but I can't kiss you. I can't touch you. I can't stroke you. Have you any idea what it cost me not to rip your pajamas off and make love to you? The only thing I can think about is use my fingers and my tongue on your body until you scream my name."
Klaus' voice was turning husky and despite her distress Caroline couldn't help but feel oddly aroused at Klaus' words. She had never really noticed the effect she had on him. He was always so sweet and tender that she tended to forget that he was also a man. A man who had feelings for her. For the first time, Caroline fully realized how much Klaus cared about her to be able to fight his need for her since such a long time.
"This is your choice now Caroline. It's me or it's Tyler but it's not both of us. I care about you way too much to stand the situation anymore."
With these words, Klaus let go of her face and headed to the window. With a soft sob, Caroline ran after him and slid her arms around his chest, clinging desperately to him.
"Please don't do this, please. I'll talk to Tyler, I promise but don't go, please."
Klaus was physically suffering to see her so desperate and so distressed but he was determined not to give in this time. He firmly pulled her away from him.
"No. You can come back to me when you will have taken a decision. Not before. You have to make some sorting out in your feelings. I won't be a substitute for you. I want more."
With that Klaus disappeared through the window and Caroline broke down. The emotional tension from the last weeks suddenly got the best of her. Tyler's return, Ric torturing her and trying to kill them, Klaus' saving, her mixed feelings, her arguments with Tyler, her arguments with Klaus, everything just fall on her all of a sudden and she broke down. She collapsed on the floor of her room and she cried desperately. She cried until she was drained out from her whole energy and until the exhaustion got the best of her and she fell asleep on the floor.
The nightmare woke her up crying and sobbing two hours later. She desperately looked out for Klaus and then she remembered their fight. Caroline was about to start crying again but she forced herself to breathe and to calm down. She climbed on her bed with difficulty and tried to put some order in her confused brain. Klaus didn't want to see her anymore. She would never have his arms around her again. Unless she let go of Tyler. Tyler who went through hell to break the sire bond just for the love of her. Tyler who had always been there for her. Tyler that her friends liked and accepted. What would happen if she chose Klaus? Tyler would hate her. Her friends would hate her. Her mother would hate her. Tyler was the safest choice. The easy choice. Tyler's love was pure and she knew he would do anything for her.
But Klaus challenged her. He was always pushing her forward, making her think about what she really wanted. He made her question her beliefs, her needs. He forced her to take responsibilities for her actions. Klaus was not treating her like a frail thing. He trusted her ability to take care of herself. He was making a grown up of her. She was a woman with him as she was still a teenager with Tyler.
Caroline tortured herself all night long, trying to weigh the pros and the cons and unable to take a decision. Her mind was a succession of moments that she had spent with which one of them. Their faces were superimposed in her mind and whirling in a blurry fog. She was such a mess on the morning that she didn't leave her bed all day long. Caroline slept short periods of time, some nightmare always waking her up. Tyler yelling at her that she had betrayed him. Klaus hissing that he didn't want to see her anymore. Her friends looking at her with disgust. Her mum kicking her out of their home. Caroline woke up each time crying and painfully out of breathe. She finally gave up on trying to sleep and she forced herself to dress up and get out of the house. She needed fresh air. She ended up at the Grill, feeling in the mood for some vodka. Her breathe stayed caught on her chest when she entered the Grill. Tyler and Klaus were both there. Klaus was sit at the bar, a bottle of bourbon in front of him. Tyler was sit on the opposite corner of the room, lost in his thoughts. Neither of them noticed Caroline froze at the entry of the Grill. She stayed where she was, looking alternatively at Klaus and Tyler, during what seemed forever.
And then realization suddenly washed over Caroline. It wasn't about pros and cons. It wasn't about her friends' reaction. It wasn't about anything rational. It was not a choice she could make with her head. It was a choice she must make with her heart. It was a choice she must make with her emotions. Everything suddenly became crystal clear on her mind. Caroline knew what she wanted.
Thank you for reading! I would love to know what you think so please let a review, it always makes me very very happy :-)