Hey guys! Here is the penultimate chapter before the story wraps up. I hope you guys enjoy :)
Klaus rolled over on to his stomach, glaring at the numbers on his alarm clock. It was 7:00, about two hours before he was supposed to be heading to work at the Herald-Star.
Sleep was not easy to come by the night before. His talk with Rebekah, Enzo, and Kol was ingrained into his brain, along with the panicked look on her face when he left her apartment.
He'd been angry of course, but not at her.
More so at Tyler for thinking that he deserved a chance to apologize once more to Caroline after all the damage he'd done. He was frustrated that Caroline's kind heart had given him the chance to explain, and he assumed, be forgiven. Of course, he couldn't really be angry about that. He adored her compassionate nature. She'd taken a chance on him even when he didn't deserve it, and that's how they ended up here in this crazy, wonderful, insane mess.
Try as he may, he couldn't get the look on her face out of her face when he left. Her eyes nervous, filled with unshed tears, but there was something else. There was a warmth in them that was directed towards him when Tyler left the room.
"I want you."
He had spent years waiting for those words from her. They lifted the cold, dark edges of his heart that he didn't know existed anymore.
But she deserved better.
She deserved better than a man who spent his life cowardly hiding in the shadows of his family's lies. Better than the man who in stuck in a dead end job that he despised, better than a man who doesn't follow his own passions.
Better than him.
Klaus groaned, burying his head in his pillow. He'd spent years convincing himself that he'd never be one of those men who were bothered by contrived silly, little things like relationships. He didn't care, nor did he ever feel like he would find someone that would make him want to move the Earth and stars for them.
But then he met Caroline, and his whole world just seemed to turn upside down.
He fell a long time ago, and no one bothered to tell him.
Klaus was pulled out of his thoughts by the annoying blare of his cell phone. He had turned it off when he left Enzo's, needing time to be alone with his thoughts and his sketchbook. All he accomplished was finishing off a bottle of bourbon and six different drawings of Caroline in various sceneries.
A small bout of panic rose in his stomach when he saw the many text messages and missed calls from Caroline. He knew he should have responded, or said something.
He wasn't ready to face her though, Rebekah's words about time and being in love bouncing around his head.
Peering back down at his phone, he was surprised to see Ayana's name flash across the screen. Swiping his thumb across it, he answered it quickly.
"Hello?"
"How is my favorite godson?"
Klaus rolled his eyes, but a smile crept across his face nonetheless. "Wondering why I was so rudely woken by a shrilling phone call."
"Hush child, or I'll tan your hide."
He grinned. Klaus may no longer be the child she once knew, but Ayana still threatened to discipline him and his siblings whenever they were out of line. Kol sometimes hiding from her whenever there were family functions she was invited to.
"I apologize. What can I do for you Ayana?"
"I was hoping we could meet for breakfast at the museum. I had something I wanted to discuss with you."
"Oh?" Klaus said, clambering out of bed. "Is it important?"
"I think you'll find it very interesting," the older woman mused in a mysterious tone.
He checked his alarm clock. "I can be there in a half hour. I don't have to be at work until 9."
The woman chuckled. "I'll see you soon."
She hung up and Klaus was left staring at his phone in confusion. Ayana was normally abrupt, but she was acting rather strange. She never called for any trivial matter. After Ansel's death, Klaus had met her for lunch a week later and it ended up feeling more like a therapy session rather than a regular meal.
With a sigh, he looked back down at his phone, his finger hovering over Caroline's name. Pressing his lips together firmly, he briefly considered calling her. He owed her an explanation for last night, and the inevitable annoyance she had at him for ignoring her calls and messages.
Making an exasperated noise, he threw it down on his bed. He would just wait until he arrived at work that morning. Klaus was a much better groveler in person than he was over the phone.
"Niklaus," the older woman greeted, a fond smile on her face.
He hugged her, hiding a small smile. "I think you, Father, Mother, and Elijah are the only people who still call me that."
"What about Finn?" Ayana laughed.
"We don't speak," he quipped, shrugging nonchalantly.
There was no lost love between him and his oldest brother.
She narrowed her eyes at him disapprovingly. "One of these days, you boys will get over your differences and act like family."
"I think not sharing fathers has a hand in our differences, Ayana," Klaus sighed, waving his hand, bored. "Now I was promised breakfast."
She glared at him, the steely gaze making even him want to shrink back. Ayana had never been the one to take kindly to his flippant comments.
"Child, you may be grown, but your mind is still young and foolish."
"What is that supposed to mean?" he asked, knowing exactly what she meant.
Ayana always seemed to give him the same speech as always, especially when it came to discussing his relationship with his father(s) and his oldest brother.
"One of these days, all you will have left is your family. Fam-"
"-ily above everything," Klaus finished, ducking his head away from her annoyed glare.
Ayana folded her arms across her chest, looking at him pointedly.
"I know," he sighed. "I apologize. I'm hungry."
She studied him, pressing her lips together. He looked away awkwardly, sticking his hands in his pockets. Her old, wise eyes scrutinized him, leaving him feeling vulnerable under her contemplative look.
"There is something else," she muttered.
His blood ran cold.
It was always useless to attempt to keep secrets from Ayana. There was something about the older lady, and how she always managed to know everything, almost like she had a sixth sense. Klaus licked his bottom lip, running a hand through his hair as he stubbornly looked at the wall.
Her eyes widened, and realization dawned on her face.
"Of course."
Klaus cleared his throat, taking the older woman's elbow and began guiding her towards the museum's cafe.
"Come on, let's eat. I have work in an hour."
The older woman hummed innocently, a secret smile on her face.
He ignored her, making the effort to pretend he was studying the menu while she was ordering her breakfast.
"I'll take a c-"
"You're in love."
Klaus nearly choked on his own tongue, coughing out the rest of his order to the confused barista. Ayana slapped him on his back, a wide grin blooming across the older woman's face. He threw her a menacing glare, annoyance growing at the self-satisfied look on her face.
The woman continued to grin at him, amused with the hostile way he nearly threw his money at the cashier, and the growl he let out when she laughed. He yanked his drink from the barista, stalking over to the nearest booth and abruptly plopping down. Ayana followed him, a gleeful smile plastered across her face.
"So…"
"You're crazy," Klaus burst out. "I am not in love."
Ayana threw him a look that let him know she wasn't buying his denial. "I may be old and senile, child, but I am not stupid."
He exhaled and took a long sip of his scalding hot tea, desperately wishing that it was something stronger like whiskey.
"Niklaus, I've known you for your entire life," the woman began, lecture imminent.
He sunk down in the booth, fully aware of how child-like he was acting.
"I can tell when there is something different about you. It's not just me that has noticed, either."
"Who?" he asked, creasing his brow.
"Kol came to see me last week, told me that there was a new woman in your life," Ayana sipped at her drink, a secret smile playing at her lips.
"Kol is an imbecile," Klaus spat.
The older woman just raised her eyebrows. "At first I didn't believe it, sure that it was one of your many lady friends-"
Klaus ducked his head awkwardly.
"But there is a change in you, Niklaus," she continued, leaning back in her booth. "I can't believe I didn't realize it when I last saw you."
He arched his brows, matching her expression. "Which is?"
"You love that Caroline woman," she said simply, shrugging as if it was a trivial fact, unbeknownst to Klaus' panicked distress.
"I most cert-"
"And the fact that you are terribly defensive only cements my belief," Ayana smirked, reveling in Klaus' stupefied expression.
Opening his mouth to defend himself, Klaus found himself at a loss for words. His palms were sweaty, heart thudding in his chest, and he found himself slightly nauseated.
He loved her.
It was that simple.
Klaus was wrong. He didn't just fancy her, or care about her. He was stupidly, blindedly, amazingly in love with her.
Rebekah, Kol, and Enzo were right, for the first time in their lives.
Klaus just gaped at the older woman, seemingly rocked by her conclusion. Instead of being cocky or teasing him about his epiphany, Ayana just placed a motherly hand on his.
"It's okay to love, Niklaus," she murmured. "Even if it is terrifying."
He blinked at her, wetting his dry lips as her words sank in.
"I know that you didn't have the best examples to grow up with," she continued. "I love your mother like she's my sister, but we know that her and Mikael didn't set the best standards and that somehow, you kids got lost in between their warring ways."
Klaus dropped his gaze to the floor.
"But you thrived. You found yourself love, something that can be very hard to come by," Ayana finished. "She's a wonderful girl."
Klaus cleared his throat, finding his mouth dry. "She is."
But he would only crush her. He didn't do relationships for a reason. In the long run, Caroline would get hurt by him. Or she would hurt him.
He loved her too much to do that to her.
Ayana smiled. "I know what you are doing right now."
Klaus took a sip of his drink, coughing slightly to hide his discomfort.
"You're thinking that you'll mess it up, or that you don't deserve something as wonderful as being loved by someone like her."
Klaus looked up. "How did y-"
"I know you," she sighed. "Niklaus, you do deserve to be loved. I know you think you don't and that you would only ruin her, but you won't."
"But-"
"Because you love her," she sighed. "When you love someone, you do what is right by them. It would kill you to see yourself hurt her."
"I don't think I can avoid it," Klaus confessed. "I'm not a good man."
Ayana pursed her lips. "No, you're human."
He exhaled, his shoulders drooping as he took in her words.
"She just got out of a relationship," Klaus sighed. "Five years."
Ayana sucked in a low breath. "That's a long time to be with someone."
He nodded, dropping his gaze to the table. "She says she wants to be with me."
The older woman studied him. "And you want to be with her."
He didn't acknowledge that she stated it like a fact, instead of a question. She was right.
"I think that's something you need to talk about with her," Ayana mused. "Whether or not she's ready for what you want to give her."
He nodded, agreeing with her. He had a lot of things to think about on his ride across town to work, let alone what he would say to her.
"So, was this your only reason to have breakfast with me?" Klaus asked, raising his eyebrows.
The older woman chuckled affectionately.
"Actually no. I called you because I have a proposition for you."
He arched his brow. "Well then, do tell."
Caroline scurried through the front doors of the Herald-Star, snatching Katherine's arm as she tugged her away from April's desk.
"Seriously Care-"
"This is more important than whether or not April should get her eyebrows done before her date Friday night," Caroline bit out, juggling a carrier of drinks to her other hand.
Katherine narrowed her eyes at the cups. "There better be a drink in there for me."
Smiling apologetically, Caroline shook her head. "Sorry, but not this morning."
"Then what the hell is so important?" the brunette asked, pulling Caroline into her own office.
She looked over Katherine's walls, filled with her most prized photographs from the paper, and a more recent addition in the middle of her desk.
It was a picture of Katherine and Elijah.
For a moment, Caroline's heart longed for the simplicity that seemed with come with their relationship. No ex-fiancé or bad history between them.
It was easy, passionate, and seemingly going to last.
She wanted that so badly for her and Klaus
"Care?"
She snapped out of her thoughts, looking at Katherine's concerned expression.
"What's the matter? Did something happen with Klaus? Did you tell him?"
She shook her head, dropping her gaze to the two coffee cups in her drink carrier.
"I didn't get a chance to," she sighed.
Katherine smirked devilishly at her. "Oooh, nice."
The blonde rolled her eyes, slapping at her best friend's arm. "Not because of that."
She just smirked back at her, brown eyes sparkling with amusement.
"Tyler came over last night."
The smile slid off Katherine's face, replacing it with a look of astonishment. "What?"
"Then Klaus showed up right after," Caroline continued, wincing at the way she gaped at her.
"Holy, shit."
"Yeah," Caroline mumbled. "It was awkward to say the least."
Katherine shook her head, still slightly stunned.
"Well, what happened?"
Caroline ran a hand down her face, ignoring the fact that she was probably smudging her perfectly made up face.
"Klaus left. I tried to get him to stay, or even come back later, but he wouldn't listen," Caroline said miserably. "I think I actually begged."
Katherine threw her a sympathetic look, wincing at Caroline's thick, dejected tone.
"And Tyler?"
Caroline scoffed. "He came over to tell me he was dating someone new. And that I should totally go after Klaus."
"He's rather ballsy," Katherine growled, flipping her hair over her shoulder. "I would have stuck my pointed stiletto up his ass and told him to beat it."
Caroline laughed despite her depression. "And that's why next time I will call you."
Her best friend just grinned.
"No, really. It wasn't bad. It was kind of...nice?" she said, unsure. "It just kind of reiterated the fact that we aren't right for each other."
"Like closure," Katherine supplied.
"Exactly."
"So what now?"
"Offer tea and apologies as a peace offering to Klaus," Caroline said, wiggling the drink carrier. "I got Klaus' favorite morning tea and even prepared a speech to give him."
Katherine rolled her eyes. "Nerd."
Scoffing, she went to leave. "Please, not all of us use our feminine wiles to get a man to accept our apologies," Caroline teased.
"True, but I do have a 97% success rate," Katherine grinned, winking suggestively at the blonde.
Caroline made a disgusted noise, waving bye over her shoulder. She could hear Katherine's laughter as she made her way down the hall to her office, squaring her shoulders as she prepared for the inevitable discussion with Klaus.
Breezing into her office nonchalantly, Caroline halted as she noticed Klaus sitting on the edge of her desk, two coffee cups in hand. Blinking at him surprised, a small smile bloomed across her lips at the amused look on his face.
"Looks like we both had the same idea," he mused, wagging the cups in his hands at her.
She smiled shyly, perching next to him on the desk. He put one his cups down and picked one out of her carrier.
"Tea?"
"English breakfast tea," she replied.
He pulled the lid off and inhaled, closing his eyes briefly at the smell. "You are such a delight."
Caroline looked shyly down at the floor, peeking up at him beneath her lashes. "I was afraid after last ni-"
Klaus shook his head, pushing off the desk as he stood up. "It's quite all right, love."
"Caroline," she chimed in, her voice small.
He chuckled, his blue eyes dancing. "Caroline."
Her heart fluttered at the way he said her name. His voice just seemingly rolling over the syllables, making her name sound as warm and delicious as her hazelnut coffee.
She smiled bashfully, pressing her lips together as her cheeks flushed.
"I wanted to talk about something," he said.
Taking in a shaky breath, she put down the drink carrier. She stood up, folding her arms across her chest and looked at him expectantly.
"I want you to apply for Jenna's job," he began.
She shook her head confusedly at him, caught off guard with his random topic.
"I thought we discussed that yesterday," she said slowly, her forehead wrinkled in confusion.
"You didn't let me finish," Klaus began.
"Yes I did," she responded cheekily.
He arched his brow, then swooped in to kiss her on the lips. She grinned into his mouth, giggling at the little growl he let out as she nipped his bottom lip.
"You're distracting," he sighed playfully.
Caroline just shrugged, delighting in his weakness.
"Anyways, I want you to apply for Jenna's job," he continued. "So that you can hire a kick-ass new opinion editor."
Her forehead creased in confusion. "But that's our job right now."
"Not anymore," he finished.
A wave of fear rippled through her. Her pulse quickened and she was pretty sure her face was flushing in panic.
"Wait what?"
"Ayana offered me a job at the museum," he explained, ducking his head bashfully. "As the art curator."
Caroline gasped and she crashed her body into his, hugging him excitably. "Oh my God, Klaus! That's great!"
He hugged her back just as tightly, chuckling into her shoulder.
"That's right up your alley," she squealed, pulling back.
His eyes were glittering with happiness, and a real, genuine smile was blossoming across his face, causing her heart to twist in the most wonderful way. Caroline couldn't help herself, pressing her lips to his insistently. He met her stroke for stroke, their lips moving languidly against one another, his mouth muffling her soft sighs. Pulling her closer, he stroked her curls softly, massaging the back of her head sweetly.
She pulled back, propping her head up against his forehead.
"I'm so proud of you," she murmured.
"Not as proud as I will be of you when you become our next co-chief editor," he said quietly
Her breath caught in her throat, and she wondered if it was possible to die from feelings. The way he made her always made her feel like she could do anything, the solid, unwavering faith in her just made Caroline want to love him more.
"I'll miss seeing you here," she sighed, drawing out of his embrace.
He dropped his hands, nodding.
Having grown accustomed to seeing him on a daily basis, it was going to be a weird transition to go from nearly 24/7 exposure to him, to nearly nothing.
"At least we will still have dinner," she chuckled, walking around to her desk chair.
"I actually wanted to talk to you about that," he started hesitantly.
Her heart thumped nervously, and she bit her lip. "I'm sorry about Tyler-"
"It's okay. I don't need to know. It's really none of my business"
"Yes, you do," Caroline rolled her eyes. "Sit."
He shifted to her desk, lifting himself to where he was sitting on top of it again. She nodded approvingly.
"Tyler just came over to apologize. That's all," she stated, shaking her head when he opened his mouth to interrupt.
"Then he told me that he was dating someone," she continued, the corners of her mouth lifting at the disgusted look on his face. "And that he was happy, and wants the same for me."
"Okay-" he tried, and Caroline rolled her eyes.
"Do I have to kiss you to shut you up?" she teased.
His eyes shone with amusement. "No, but I wouldn't mind."
She scoffed playfully, narrowing her eyes at him.
"Anyways, I came to a realization about you not too long ago."
"Oh?"
She sucked in a low breath, willing herself to calm down.
"That I love you."
Klaus' eyes widened and his jaw fell open, Caroline normally would have found it comical, but her nerves were twisting so bad that instead of laughing, she was sure she'd cry.
"What?" his voice was nearly a whisper.
"I love you," she stated simply, the weight lifting off her chest a little bit more each time she said it.
He continued to sit on her desk, gaping at her. Caroline bit her lip, twisting her fingers nervously as her heart began to sink at his lack of response.
"Klaus?"
He cleared his throat. "I'm sorry, just a bit caught off guard."
Letting out a slow breath, Caroline moved over to where she was sitting next to Klaus, twiddling her thumbs as she waited for him to find his words.
"You know, I feel the same way," he confessed, catching Caroline off guard.
A grin bloomed across her face, and she smiled so hard that her cheeks hurt. "Really?"
He met her eyes, and ducked his head. "Caroline, you're a bright light in this deep, dark world that we live in."
Feeling her eyes fill with tears at his sincere words, Caroline giggled, rolling her eyes.
"I'm serious," he smiled. "I'm just-"
Klaus nodded towards her, licking his bottom lip. He just wasn't ready to say the words yet, which Caroline understood.
She was okay with that. She could wait.
"But, I think that we need to take a break."
What?
Caroline gasped, feeling a tear roll down her cheek. "What?"
Klaus turned to look at her, panicking as he noticed the tears fall from her eyes. He shook his head, taking her head in his hands, wiping at her tears.
"Don't cry for me," he murmured, kissing the tops of her cheeks.
"I don't understand," she tried, shaking her head. "You love me, but you don't want to be with me?"
Klaus took her chin in his hand, firmly turning her to face him. "I want to be with you. More than anything."
"Then what's the problem?"
Klaus sighed, kissing her temple. "I think that we need to be on our own for a while-"
"But-"
"Because you're about to become the newest co-chief editor here, and I've got this new job to concentrate on," he continued. "When we start something, I want to give it everything that I have."
Caroline pressed her lips together. "So, you want us to wait so that we can concentrate on our careers?"
Klaus nodded. "For the most part."
"But I had a career before in a relationship. We can do both at the same time," she supplied.
"Sweetheart, you need this time to yourself. You just got out of a five year relationship, and you haven't even had the chance to try to find out who you are without him, without me," he explained, wrapping a hand around hers. "Caroline, you owe it to yourself to become the person you want to be, without me, or some other man telling you how to live your life."
"Isn't that what you're doing?" Caroline shook her head, his words sending her into a mass of confusion.
"I want you. I love you," Caroline stated, throwing her hands up as she stood up. "Why isn't that enough?"
"It's more than enough," he said, wrapping an arm around her. "It's everything I ever dreamed of. But, I think that you do need time to yourself."
Caroline swallowed thickly, trying to veil her devastation.
"This is your chance to make all your dreams come true," he said. "I'm making mine at the museum. This is your chance, and I want you to take it."
Caroline sucked in a low breath, his eyes cutting into her, the seriousness, and the love in them flooring her.
"You really believe in me that much?"
"More."
Maybe it was the earnest way he was looking at her, or than same unwavering faith that he always had, but she believed him.
She didn't know who she was without Tyler, or without a guy in her life. Caroline owed it to herself to find her dream. Even if it meant a little heartbreak that would be soothed by Klaus eventually in the long run.
"I don't want to lose you," she sniffed.
Klaus chuckled softly, wiping away another tear from her face. "Surely, you must know that I love you just as much as you love me. When we are together, it'll be for good. "
All of the pain and heartbreak seemed to wash away at his confession, and Caroline smiled at him. When Tyler had first said those three little words to her, she had been happy, but it wasn't as special as she always thought it would be. But when Klaus said them, it was like the sky opened up and light shone down on them, as cheesy as it sounded.
It was infinite.
"I'm going to miss being with you, like this," she gestured between them, noting how comfortable she felt in his arms.
"I'm not going anywhere, just across town. I'll still love you even while you take the time to conquer the paper and half of Chicago," he chuckled, smiling that dimpled smile at her that she loved so much.
She doesn't think she'll ever tire of hearing the word "love" come off his tongue.
"It's not me saying, we will never happen, because that's not an option," Klaus said, tracing the curve of her chin with his finger. "Just not now."
"Okay," Caroline whispered, brushing her lips against his. "I think you're right."
"Of course I am," Klaus said confidently, wrapping his arms around her tightly.
She rolled her eyes but snuggled in his arms.
"Tyler was your first love, and I intend to be your last. However long it takes."
Sooo, how many of you guys hate? I know, I hate myself too. This little "break" for Klaroline is very important though. Yes, I know they are in love BUT Caroline has not lived without a guys influence in her life for so many years, and I really think that her taking time for herself, would make their relationship even stronger. Just like how we wait for her to eventually show up on Klaus' doorstep ;)
So, please, please review and give me your thoughts! What do we think of Klaus' new job, their break? Are you sad to see this story wrapping up? One more to go guys!
Until Next Time
Kaitlyn