Author's Note: So this drabble is based off #154, and it's a bit more of a literal interpretation, a God/Mortal AU wherein Klaus is some version of Eros (the god of erotic love) but don't try to fit this into well known myth, I'm playing fast and loose with the rules. Enjoy!

Disclaimer: If I ask for it for Christmas, do you think I'll get it?

The little Love-god lying once asleep
Laid by his side his heart-inflaming brand,
Whilst many nymphs that vow'd chaste life to keep
Came tripping by; but in her maiden hand
The fairest votary took up that fire
Which many legions of true hearts had warm'd;
And so the general of hot desire
Was sleeping by a virgin hand disarm'd.

He watches her while she sings.

She is so young and bright, traipsing through the woods with her fellow handmaidens, all followers of his sister. Most are honoured to be simply be chosen by the goddess, they surround Rebekah, preening and simpering, vying for her favour but not her. No, the one with the golden curls and bright blue eyes, she disentangles herself from the group, curious about the world around her and Klaus watches from some distance as she delves deeper and deeper into the woods, laughing as she goes. Eventually she starts to sing, just nonsense words with a simple tune and yet – he finds himself captivated.

The clearing in the woods was small but allowed a sanctuary for the multitude of wildflowers that sprouted up. Klaus watched from behind a tree as she walked into the small meadow and knelt on the ground, plucking up the flowers one by one, still singing her little tune. She was lost to the world around her and Klaus took the opportunity to properly assess her. Blonde tresses tumbled down her back and fell in front of her face, obscuring it from view. But then she lifted her face to the sun, allowing her eyes to drift shut as she basked in the warmth and in that moment Klaus swore she glowed brighter than any goddess he knew.

Feeling any restraint he had left snap, he strode into the clearing, stopping just a foot away. The girl was still oblivious to his presence, but let her song trail off.

"Please don't stop on my account, love, you have a beautiful voice," he said, smirking as the young maiden finally laid eyes on him.

With a gasp she shot to her feet, immediately on guard. Her hands fisted by her sides in the fabric of her chiton and she stood tall, unwilling to show any sign of fear to the stranger. She shot a subtle glance towards the forest, wondering how far away her friends were but there was no sign of them, and Klaus didn't miss her quick glance.

"Relax, sweetheart, I'm hardly going to hurt you," he said, holding his hands up in a placating gesture. It did nothing to ease her defensiveness; she merely narrowed her eyes and scoffed.

"Forgive me for being on my guard. As if I haven't heard the stories of what some men are capable of," she said, head held high.

"Well then, it's a good thing for both of us that I'm not just some man," he said, smirking at her fiery attitude. He was a god, the god of love no less, he was used to women throwing themselves at his feet, falling for his every advance. But this little maiden clearly did not recognize him, innocent as she was. He was fascinated by her, so beautiful, so sweet and yet so bold.

"You would do well to leave me alone," she said, her gaze steely. "I happen to be a lady in waiting to the goddess Rebekah."

"Ah, Rebekah's followers…such virtuous young things, if the stories are true."

She scrunched up her face at his not so innocent remark, but considering she was part of a goddess' retinue, she was not about to let herself be intimidated, Klaus could tell.

"Well, I must return to the goddess, so if you will excuse me-"

"Stay a while, please," said Klaus quickly, surprising himself at the slight plea in his voice. Why some young little thing should be so captivating was a mystery to him, all he knew was that he was unwilling to leave her presence.

"Look, I don't even know who you are…" she trailed off, not knowing what to call him.

"Nikl-Nik, my name is Nik. And yourself?" he asked, holding back from revealing his full name to her. Granted, if he had revealed himself then she would be obligated to show him respect, being a God and the brother of the goddess she served no less, but he found that he wanted her to be herself – her fiery, defensive self.

Well, Nik, like I said, I need to return to my friends, so goodbye!" With a sarcastic wave, she began to stalk off, but Klaus quickly followed her, enjoying keeping up this game of cat and mouse.

"You do realize that I'm not about to give you the time of day, right?" the handmaiden called out over her shoulder, with a faint trace of amusement, "Or my name, so you might as well give up."

"I still have hope," said Klaus, managing to keep his stride over the uneven ground of the forest. The young woman was not so lucky and her sandaled foot caught on a gnarled root, causing her to stumble forward. It was hardly a life threatening situation but Klaus reacted quickly, darting forward and catching her around the waist, pulling her back against his chest.

She was still for a moment, a little stunned by his quick movement, but she recovered quickly, staring up at him, her lips pursed. "Seriously? Why are you so interested, you don't even know me!"

"I'd certainly like to know you," said Klaus, his smirk widening.

"Well, I'm not so sure I'd like to know you, so you might as well give up."

"Oh sweetheart, that's really not who I am," said Klaus, wondering if she would be so willing to tell the God of love to give up if she knew who he really was.

"I am not your sweetheart," the maiden replied, stepping away from him and crossing her arms.

"No, you're the most interesting woman I've met in a good long while," replied Klaus, stepping towards her and for the first time during their little encounter, she did not move away from him, staring into his eyes with curiosity

"Please, love – at least tell me your name?" Klaus asked, his voice low.

"Caroline!"

It was not Caroline herself who had volunteered her name but rather the screeching voice of his sister, who stood a few feet away, her hands perched on her hips, fuming silently. She stalked towards the two, and grabbed Caroline's arm, pulling her away from Klaus and glaring at her brother.

"Really, Nik? Is there no one else you can pester, you choose to go after one of my handmaidens?"

"Forgive me sister, but I hardly think this is any of your business," said Klaus, irritated at Rebekah's untimely arrival.

"Oh, I think it is most certainly my business," said Rebekah scathingly, "I can't have my maidens plucked away by my own brother."

"Brother?!" Caroline stood next to her mistress, her mouth agape as she swung her head between the two deities. "Wait, 'Nik' – you're Niklaus? The god of…"

"Love, Caroline," he said with a wink that had the young maiden blushing in a mix of embarrassment and anger.

"You tricked me," she said, her voice cutting.

"Hardly a fair accusation, sweetheart, I never lied to you," replied Klaus, ignoring the way his sister rolled her eyes.

"You led me to believe you were simply a normal man, you said nothing of being a god, you arrogant-" she caught herself at just the last moment, remembering that she was in fact talking to a God and bit her tongue. With a nervous glance towards Rebekah, she fixed Klaus with a cool stare. "My apologies, my lord. I did not mean to insult."

Caroline all but spat out her words and Klaus sighed internally, having wanted to avoid this inevitable confrontation for a while longer. Who knows how long it might take him to get her back to being as free around him as she had been moments earlier? Now she looked as if she had said her piece and Rebekah looked bored, taking Caroline by the arm and leading her away, muttering about her 'ass of a brother'. Klaus stood still and watched them leave, but before the trees obscured his sight, Caroline looked over her shoulder and met his eyes, angry, flushed yet still a little…curious?

Well, looks like something was only beginning.

A party thrown by the Gods was no small affair, as even the mortals knew. During her childhood Caroline had often heard the tales of the God's revelry, she had hung onto stories of decadence and indulgence and wondered what it all must have been like. When she had been selected by the Goddess Rebekah herself to join her retinue, she had immediately envisioned her first party at the Palace of the Gods, and finally, after many months, the opportunity arose. A birthday party for her mistress meant that every single one of the high deities must be in attendance, and especially every member of the Goddess' retinue, Caroline among them.

Wine poured freely, the tables were heaped with every dessert known to the heavens, and the laughter of the partygoers rang freely. Although just a mortal girl, Caroline wound her way through the crowd, smiling at the attentions of the younger demigods and joining in the dances and revelry. Although a code of behavior was normally expected of her, the festivities had loosened everyone's inhibitions and Rebekah herself was too preoccupied with one of her many suitors to care about her handmaidens.

"Isn't this incredible?!" gushed Elena, grabbing Caroline's hand and laughing as the two girls twirled through the dancing crowd, stopping once they had reached the entrance of the ballroom.

"More than incredible," said Caroline, giggling, catching the eye of a group of young men who were eyeing her and her friends appreciatively. "I think we have some admirers," she said, rolling her eyes at the group that was puffing out their chests, preening for attention.

"Oh, you certainly have one," said Bonnie, joining their conversation with a Mona Lisa smile. "In fact, you've had one all evening."

"Don't tell me it's the one with his robe on backwards," said Caroline with a grimace, catching the eye of said boy who was awkwardly trying to wink at her.

"Oh no, I'm talking about him." Bonnie subtly pointed towards the balcony overlooking the ballroom, where a few attendees had escaped the throng. All three girls looked up, and saw that standing solitary was a well-built man with familiar blonde curls and a devious smirk, looking straight at Caroline with a heated gaze. Caroline just barely kept in her gasp, but knew that Klaus had seen her flustered and she dropped his gaze quickly.

"Oh, he's handsome!" said Elena, giggling. "Why are you so scared, Caroline, he's just a man looking at you!"

"He's not just some man, Elena, he's Niklaus! You remember the stories, don't you?"

Elena and Bonnie gaped at her. "The god of erotic love and passion… but how do you know that's who he is, we've never met him?" asked Bonnie suspiciously.

"Well, I did meet him," snapped Caroline, not liking her friends tone. "It was when we were in the woods a few weeks ago, he saw me and talked to me – but I didn't know who he was!"

"Caroline, did you…" Elena let her question hang in the air, all three girls remembering the stories of the god Niklaus and his infamous conquests.

"No, I didn't, Rebekah found me. She's his sister, you know. She warned me to stay away."

"Well of course you have to stay away, he'll ruin you!" said Bonnie, looking worried.

Caroline sighed and ran a hand through her curls, recognizing the truth in her friend's words even if her traitorous heart wanted to ignore them. She glanced up at the balcony but the God was gone, and she searched around the room finding no sign of him at all. She shut her eyes and took a breath, cursing herself for feeling flustered despite him not having done a thing. She still felt the heat of his gaze on her, and suddenly the crowd pressed too close; she needed to get away.

"If you would excuse me for a moment…" she said hurriedly to her friends before pushing through the crowd and coming through into an empty hallway. Normally, a handmaiden running through the Palace of the Gods would be considered highly impertinent but tonight, no one cared. Caroline was left to wander through the long stone corridors, passing intricate wooden doors she didn't dare enter, but admired for their beauty nonetheless. Beautiful paintings adorned the walls, depicting the Gods in the legends Caroline had grown up with, perfect marble statues stood in alcoves, rendered lifelike with an artful hand.

Caroline came to the end of one hallway, which had a large window overlooking the realms below. The inky black sky was spread out before her, thousands of stars twinkling all around, reminding her that the palace was built in the clouds, perfect for the Gods to observe the mortal world below.

"It's quite a sight, isn't it?"

Caroline spun on her heel, having been caught unawares by Niklaus for the second time. He stood just a few feet away, relaxed against the stone wall. His robes were dark, he cut an intimidating figure and Caroline wondered how she had missed the aura of power that radiated off him the last time they met. His handsome features were thrown into sharp relief, bringing back all the secret little thoughts she had had about him during the past few weeks when she lay awake, staring into the dark and thinking about the god who had seemed so interested in her. Those thoughts were enticing to be sure, but she kept them well guarded, knowing that she could never give into his advances. He would spurn her once he was done, she was sure, and then what would be left for her? Rebekah would banish her, her family would not take her back if she were disgraced and yet – and yet she still found herself rooted to the spot, staring at the god in front of her.

"It is beautiful," she said carefully, not knowing how to act around him. Her insolence could have easily cost her her life, she knew that now, and she wondered why he had allowed her to speak to him in such a brazen manner. "The Palace is beyond imagination, Lord Niklaus." To her surprise, he rolled his eyes.

"It is Nik, as I told you. And may we please dispense with this inane chatter? Where is the young maiden who so fearlessly told me off in the meadow?" His smirk widened and he stalked closer towards her, his gait predatory. "Tell me sweetheart, have you lost your sharp tongue?"

Caroline wanted so badly to retort, but she didn't know if he was playing a game with her out of amusement or cruelty. He could easily catch her in insolence and demand her death, just for fun, and if the stories were true, this was not a God known for his kind and patient ways. "I should not have spoken to you in that way, my lord," she said, careful to keep her voice as even as possible.

"Nik, love, please don't make me have to tell you again." He walked even closer and now let his knuckles graze her bare shoulder, eliciting a shiver from her. "I'm so sorry our last meeting was cut short, but I stand by my word, I do want to get to know you better."

"So that I may be added to your list of conquests?" Caroline snapped back without thinking. She froze, staring him in the eye but he didn't seem angry, just amused.

"You wound me sweetheart, whoever said I wanted to make you a conquest? I simply want to get to know you, talk to you. However, if you are so eager to take our activities in that direction…"

"I didn't mean that!" cried Caroline, embarrassed again. It didn't help that his close proximity was making her heart race and she gulped nervously, a gesture that surely didn't go unnoticed. Klaus now laid a hand gently at the curve of her waist, the heat of his hand burning through the thin fabric of her chiton, and found the weight of his hand to be disarmingly pleasant.

"Of course you didn't mean that, sweetheart," said Klaus, trying to put her at ease. It was an enormously good sign that she hadn't moved to run away from him, and he knew she was slowly becoming much more intrigued by him, the way he was with her. As someone who understood the passions of love, he knew this sweet little maiden longed to love and be loved in the way she had never been allowed. She was so full of light, he would be more than happy to show her the joy she wished for.

"Tell me Caroline," he whispered, watching her eyes glaze at his husky tone, "how about you and I simply enjoy each other's company for one night?" He leant his head closer to her and let his lips skim the smooth, soft skin of her cheek. "We could talk," he whispered against her skin, "we could get to know one another." He brought his other hand up to hold her waist so that they now stood in a far too intimate embrace; one Klaus found himself enjoying immensely. Whereas most mortal women were easy enough to seduce, he found that he genuinely meant his words; he wanted to know Caroline, past one night in his bed. Although, he certainly wouldn't object if they ended up that way tonight.

"Take a chance, sweetheart," he whispered in her ear, then pulled back completely, taking a step away, but letting his hand find hers. She seemed startled by the sudden loss of his body and swayed forward just a little, disoriented. As he squeezed her hand, she looked between their intertwined fingers and him, waging a silent war in her head.

"Your sister would not approve…" she said hesitantly.

"My sister is the least of my concerns," said Klaus, his thumb rubbing circles on Caroline's wrist. Again, she shuddered, then closed her eyes, taking a deep breath.

"I am not so easily won," she said, her voice soft yet determined.

'I would not expect you to be," Klaus replied.

"But I would – I think I would like-" she couldn't get the words out , but Klaus was more than happy to take his chance.

"You would like to get to know me?"

"We will only talk!" she said quickly. "But…yes. I would like to know you better, my lor – Nik," she amended, remembering his earlier words.

"Then get to know each other we shall," said Klaus, with a triumphant smile. Not letting go of Caroline's hand, he pulled her close and deeper into the palace.

MANY MONTHS LATER

That same starry sky that Caroline had admired through the window of one of the Palace's hallways now shone through the window of Klaus' enormous chambers, the moon casting her silver rays on the bodies of the two lovers entwined under wine-red sheets. Klaus lay on his back; Caroline curled into his side, her head on his chest, her blonde locks splayed out and tickling his skin. He ran his knuckles up and down her spine, relishing the little shiver she gave in her sleep, and pressed an affectionate kiss to the crown of her head.

"Go to sleep Nik," she mumbled, hiding her face in his chest, but Klaus was enjoying teasing her far too much. He let his hand wander under the sheet that covered her midsection and found the apex of her thighs, delighting in the little mewl she gave as he skillfully played with her folds, teasing and taunting her until she was all but panting into his chest, her legs rubbing together in search of relief. Giving up on any chance of sleep, Caroline's eyes shot open and she moved to quickly straddle the god, pouting.

"You're not being very nice," she admonished, but Klaus hardly took her words seriously.

"When am I not nice?" he asked, letting his hands grip her sides and tickle them, which earned him a delighted squeal as he tackled her back into the pillows, hovering over her with a deadly smirk. "I'm the nicest man there is!"

Caroline rolled her eyes, about to retort but Klaus silenced her words with a kiss, his skilful hands moving downwards once more. She moaned, losing herself to the euphoric feeling of his touch, turning her head towards the window and frowning when she saw the sky lightening.

"I need to be back soon," she whispered regretfully. Ever since they had begun their affair weeks ago, they knew that it would be fraught with risk, Caroline could never be found out. After the night Klaus had seduced her into his bed, she had fully expected him to break her heart despite the easy camaraderie they had built up over the weeks before, when they had gotten to know each other. She was delighted when he proved her wrong. Whether it was truly love on his part, she didn't know, but she hoped. For her part…she loved him. And she had admitted it to no one, not even him, but it was the truth. Caroline was sure he knew the depth of her feelings for him, (he was the god of love, how could he not?) but since he said nothing on the matter, she kept her silence, enjoying the nights they spent together.

Klaus sighed against her shoulder, and then pushed himself up, pulling her with him. "Must the nights always end?" he asked, running his knuckles over her cheek.

"That is the way of it, yes," she replied cheekily. "Unless you'd like to convince the gods to change night and day, I'm afraid that's how it is."

They dressed in a comfortable silence, then Klaus stood in front of Caroline, taking her hands and kissing her hard, leaving her flushed and wanting more. "Until next time, love," he whispered against her lips as he pulled away and concentrated.

Caroline felt the now familiar rush of the god's magic and found herself standing outside the room she shared with Bonnie in the small castle Rebekah kept for her own personal use. As quietly as she could, Caroline eased open the door to her room and moved through the darkness, finding her bed and sinking down onto the sheets. The linen was soft but nothing compared to the rich silk of Klaus' bed and she missed his warmth, curling in on herself under the covers, trying to remember the feeling of his warm body wrapped up with hers.

"Did you have a good time with him?"

Caroline shot up in bed, noticing that in the bed across from hers, Bonnie was now sitting up, staring at Caroline with an unreadable expression. The early blue hues of dawn cast long shadows on her friend's face and Caroline honestly didn't know if Bonnie was angry, disappointed, or indifferent. "Bonnie, it's nothing, I had just stepped out because I needed something from the kitchens-"

"Don't lie, Caroline!" said Bonnie, and Caroline flinched back, waiting for the axe to fall with baited breath. Bonnie had always been kind to her, like a sister, she wondered if it would be her to go to Rebekah and reveal her secret. "It's him isn't it? Niklaus?"

Caroline nodded, ducking her head. "Yes," he whispered finally.

"For how long?"

"About a month," she replied. She was a little confused, Bonnie hadn't snapped again and her tone was soft. Hearing movement, she looked up to see Bonnie softly pad across the room and sit down on Caroline's bed, reaching forward and taking her hand.

"It's not your fault, Caroline," said Bonnie earnestly. "He is a god, this is what he does, he tricks and seduces young women, and if you explain that to Rebekah then-"

"No, Bonnie!" cried Caroline, startled at the thought. She knew Nik's reputation better than anybody, he hadn't shied away from it, but at no point did he have to trick her into bed. All those weeks of seriously getting to know the man behind the god, she had come to want him as much as he wanted her.

"It's not like that, I swear," she told her friend, pleading with Bonnie to believe her. "He did not seduce me, not like that. He wanted to know me, he showed me these amazing things, and-"

"That means nothing, Caroline!" said Bonnie firmly, and Caroline hardened against her quick judgement.

"It means everything," Caroline said, resolute. "I think – I think I love him."

Bonnie gasped. "Oh, Caroline, you know you can't! You'll be banished, ruined, do you really want that? He's a god, you're just a human!"

Caroline wanted to pull her hand away, bury herself into her pillow and block out all of Bonnie's harsh truths, but they were just that, truths. She knew that Nik was far above her, but that didn't change her feelings. She had no way of knowing how he really felt about her, she was sure she was more than just a passing thought to him, but she could still be a simple dalliance, he could be more than ready to end their affair sooner or later.

"I can't help it, Bonnie, I love him! What can I do to stop that?" This wasn't just some mortal suitor she could ignore, this was a god, passionate and overwhelmingly all-consuming, she knew that she couldn't stay away.

Bonnie's lips were pursed as she considered the distraught blonde. "There might be something you can do. My grandmother told me a legend once, of Niklaus and the arrow he uses – you know of it?"

Caroline nodded, remembering the weapon he had once shown her, the instrument he used to strike down people, sending them into the joys and despairs of love. He kept it in a place of honour in his room, she knew it well, had felt the power that was imbedded within the wood.

Bonnie continued her story, "You have to steal it. Steal it and take it to the Waters of Absolution, then soak the arrow in the water. When it's held underneath by someone in love, the power of the arrow will reverse, and your love will end."

"I have to end my love?" asked Caroline with no small amount of sorrow.

"What else is there to do, Caroline?" asked Bonnie, a little tersely. "You've got yourself in this mess, if you're ever to remain a part of Rebekah's retinue, you have to end this infatuation. As soon as possible."

Caroline held her tongue but her emotions swirled inside her. Nik was not just some infatuation to her, why couldn't Bonnie see that? Still, she knew that she had her future to consider, and her traitorous heart was not about to give up the hold it had on the god, so if this was the only way to preserve her prospects, then…so be it.

"I'll do it, Bonnie," she whispered, regretting the words even as she spoke.

Caroline pulled her cloak tighter around her, gripping the arrow in her hand tightly. It was hot, she could feel it feeding off her own love, strengthening in power. She stood near the edge of a vast lake, dark trees surrounding her. The Waters of Absolution were calm, and looked harmless, but Caroline couldn't bring herself to take the final step and plunge her hand underneath the dark surface. Above, the starry sky she loved so much gave her no comfort, all she thought of were the nights she had spent in her lover's embrace and cursed herself for what she was about to do.

If her heart was shielded from him, what would he do? Would he simply disregard her, move on to another woman as was his old way? She knew that logically she would lose the ability to care, but right now, her heart constricted. Would he be hurt? She didn't want to cause him pain, but she was just a human girl, did she even presume to think she was capable of such a thing? The arrow grew even hotter, her inner tumult feeding its power and she knew that it was now or never. Sooner or later, Nik would realize she had left his bed and stolen his greatest weapon, and she daren't wait for that to happen. She would rid herself of her feelings, return the arrow and then explain to him that they simply could not carry on their affair. And it would be easy, because the love she felt would be gone, forever.

She wanted to cry.

But, she had a job to do. She gripped the arrow and knelt at the edge of the lake. "Forgive me," she whispered into the night air. Then with a deep breath, she plunged the arrow into the water.

Instantly the arrow glowed brightly, shimmering a deep golden, illuminating the lake and causing waves to crash upon the shore. Slowly she felt the water begin to heat and then steam until Caroline could bear it no longer and yanked the arrow out. She sat back on the grass, breathing heavily. Had it worked? She didn't feel any different…she closed her eyes and thought of Klaus. And the memories hit her all at once, the endless night she had spent coming undone under his body, his laughter, his smiles he reserved for her, they all still lingered, and they all caused her heart to ache.

"It didn't work…" she muttered to herself. Was this her punishment, for going against the norms? Was she to be cursed with her feelings for the rest of her life?

"Some things are not so easily destroyed, sweetheart," said a soft voice, and Caroline shot to her feet, whirling around to meet the face of her lover, standing a few feet away, his face blank.

"Nik – I just – I," she tried to stammer out something between an explanation and an excuse, but the words wouldn't form, and the sight of him in front of her sent her already tumultuous heart racing. He walked closer to her, not saying a word, his hands clasped behind his back and made no move to reach forward and take her hand or caress her cheek as he usually did. Instead, he simply reached for the arrow she still clung and plucked it away, twirling it idly in his hand.

"Some legends, Caroline, must not be so readily believed." Klaus' voice was even. He walked around Caroline and stood facing the waters of the lake which bubbled almost violently. "The Waters of Absolution are powerful, but the stories of them breaking love…well I'm afraid those just aren't real. You see, love, some feelings can't be cooled. Some feelings aren't meant to go away." Caroline watched his back, aching to go to him, but she wasn't sure what to say. He whirled around to face her and now she saw the raging anger on his face, he was hurt, and he stormed forward, grabbing her upper arms and pulling her against him.

"I should be furious at you," he hissed in her ear, "I should want to end you for trying what you did." He pulled back and searched her eyes. "But here's the thing, sweetheart – if you were trying to kill your feelings , that means you do in fact feel something very, very powerful for me. You love me."

His declaration was the truth, and all Caroline could do was nod. "I do," she said, her voice surprisingly strong, "I love you."

"Then why try to end it?!" Klaus demanded, his grip on her arms tightening. Caroline squirmed under his hold, but he fixed her in place with his gaze, and she relented, knowing that she owed him the truth.

"I was facing a future of ruin," Caroline said, shutting her eyes against the pain of the thought. "I'm a human, and I would have been discovered, I would have been cast away." She opened her eyes to meet his and found that he had calmed down somewhat.

"Are you so sure of that?" Klaus asked her, releasing the hold he had on her arms in favour of cupping her face. "What makes you think I would even let you be cast aside?"

"Because you're a god, I'm just a passing human-"

"Your words, not mine, sweetheart," Klaus murmured before leaning down and kissing her hard, gripping her face tightly, giving her no opportunity to pull away from him. His lips and tongue worked against her furiously, tasting her sweet skin, savouring every little whimper she made at his onslaught. When he pulled away, she was panting heavily and leaned forward to rest her forehead against his chest.

"Nik-"

"Listen carefully – I have no intention of allowing you to return to the mortal world in ruin, I barely intend to let you return to my sister. I want you to stay with me, Caroline. Stay by my side, become immortal – what do you say?"

Caroline pulled away slightly, but Klaus kept her firmly in his grasp. "Nik, are you saying…"

"I love you," he said with a small smile. "Is that so hard to believe?"

Caroline couldn't form a response but laughed instead, that same sunny laugh she had given in the woods on the first day he met her. She reached up to kiss him again, and he picked her up by her waist and spun her around, absorbing her light and carefree nature. His sister would pout and complain, the other gods would be confused and the humans would confuse the true story of the love god and the mortal girl. But all of that hardly matter to them. Together, they basked in their love, creating a new legend, one that would resonate throughout the realms and centuries, telling the tale of the god of love and the human girl who showed him what true love really meant.

This brand she quenched in a cool well by,
Which from Love's fire took heat perpetual,
Growing a bath and healthful remedy
For men diseased; but I, my mistress' thrall,
Came there for cure, and this by that I prove,
Love's fire heats water, water cools not love.

I hope you enjoyed! Let me know what you thought, and if any of you have a favourite sonnet of your own (or is that just me?) leave a request! Hope you're all having a great Christmas break!