A/N: First, I just want to say how happy I am that you enjoyed the last chapter. It was a tough one to write, so it's a good feeling to know the end result was well received. Your reviews were – as always – amazing and thoughtful, and I was glad that you took the time to let me know what you want to see in future chapters. While I'm sure it doesn't all happen in this chapter, hopefully you will see what you want to see by the time this fic is finished.
I apologize for the delay in an update, but if you take a look at how small your scrolly bar is on your right, that's my explanation.
I tried to edit this the best I could, but my head is kind of cloudy with illness so forgive me if there are any mistakes or inconsistencies.
Surprisingly, this was only meant to be a bit of a light-hearted filler chapter after my last, more intense, update. I hope you enjoy it regardless, there's a lot of fan-favourites in here, a lot of characters make appearances in this chapter, there's some naughty flirting, and even a smutty little treat for you at the end *blushes* You were warned.
She awoke the next morning to a bellowing cell phone alarm.
Her eyes fluttered open slowly and she outstretched her legs and arms to find him missing.
With a small frown, she rubbed her eyes to clear her vision.
She chuckled to herself when she realized she had been asleep in the very centre of the bed and she wondered if this was how she slept the entire night. Perhaps that's why Klaus was missing.
Sitting up in bed, she could smell the sweet taste of blood in the air. There was a glass of blood on the nightstand with a piece of paper contained underneath and her cell phone beside it.
Reaching for the cell phone first, she silenced the alarm.
There was a text from her mother.
'A hybrid named Dean tells me you're safe with Klaus. I'd like an explanation sometime today.' - Mom
That message was sent earlier this morning, likely when her mother was finished her shift. Mention of Dean made her curious to know whether her mom had to deal with the sight of his kidney on the porch. Had Dean really stayed there all night and waited for her mom? Did Klaus tell him to?
Disregarding her questions, she sent a quick response to her mom and then focused on the glass of blood and the note.
'Teachers should arrive to school before their students. I had Kol fetch you your car. See you this afternoon. - Klaus'
She smiled at the note, musing at one of Klaus's old fashioned habits; a text message would have easily sufficed, she thought. The part about Kol made her laugh. She could just imagine Klaus barging into Kol's room and demanding he go retrieve her car from the resort parking lot. He deserved that, she supposed.
Taking a moment to lie back down, she revelled in the luxury of having this gigantic bed to herself. Maybe she would skip school today? How would Mr. Mikaelson feel about that?
She laughed under her breath welcoming the huge sense of relief that flooded her mind as she recalled how last night ended.
Never did she expect that her efforts to apologize and resolve things with Klaus would go as smoothly as they did. She anticipated a yelling match and a trade of harsh words between them, but it had turned out quite the opposite. Elijah had been right about Klaus, thankfully. Her own instincts had not misled her either. She loathed thinking about what she would have done had Klaus rejected her efforts.
But he hadn't. It was not just a dream; it was real. She had fallen asleep against him soon after their discussion of this supposed cure and at some point he had moved her to leave the bed.
With that pleasant thought in mind, she stretched once more and climbed out of bed.
She would reluctantly have to find Rebekah to borrow more clothes.
She quietly opened Klaus's door but all efforts to be discreet were ruined when she inadvertently bumped into a determined Rebekah who was heading for the stairs, in a pink fleece housecoat.
"Oh my god," she exclaimed.
"You scared the shit out of me," Rebekah gasped.
Rebekah's eyes darted into the room she had emerged from, realizing it was obviously not Finn's.
"I assume you and my brother resolved your differences," Rebekah sneered. "Where is Nik?" she asked.
"He left already for school," she replied bemusedly.
Rebekah scoffed.
"You mean you didn't talk him out of it?" Rebekah complained.
She shook her head.
"Some battles are better left unfought," she shrugged. "Besides, there could be some benefits to having your brother around at the school..."
Rebekah rolled her eyes and crossed her arms.
"What? So you can shag him in the janitor's closet during free period?" Rebekah scowled.
Her eyes widened and her cheeks flushed.
"No!" she laughed. "I mean benefits related to keeping the hunter away and keeping an eye on some Council members who just happen to be school staff members," she clarified.
Rebekah didn't look convinced.
"You'll only have him as your teacher for one period Rebekah, plus it could be fun," she pointed out.
"Fun?" Rebekah inquired.
"Yeah fun, like as in pestering him and giving him a hard time," she explained.
Rebekah smirked.
Mission accomplished, she thought to herself.
"Speaking of school, we're both going to be late if we don't start getting ready," Rebekah noted.
She nodded as she eyed Rebekah hopefully.
"Do you think you have some clothes for me to borrow?" she asked.
Rebekah gave her a knowing and disgusted look as she headed back for her bedroom.
"Nothing that you can seduce my brother with," she joked.
She followed Rebekah into her room and into the closet.
"You still haven't returned the last items of clothing you borrowed from me," Rebekah chastised as she began to go through the piles of mostly brand new items.
"It slipped my mind. I have them at home. I can bring them to you," she offered. "Just give me some sweatpants and a sweater; we're doing a dissection in biology today, so things will probably get messy."
"I'll need a ride to school for this," Rebekah negotiated. "I don't want to find any bits of dissected frog on my clothes when you return them either."
She nodded, accepting Rebekah's terms.
"Actually, we're dissecting pig fetuses," she told Rebekah.
"Oh yuck!" Rebekah exclaimed with a mortified expression. "What are you going to wear after biology?" Rebekah questioned.
Smiling mischievously, she shrugged.
"We're selling prom tickets at lunch right? Nothing says school spirit like our cheerleading uniforms," she said innocently.
Rebekah groaned and made a gagging noise.
"School spirit?" Rebekah retorted. "Please, I know exactly why you're putting that uniform on, and I want to barf," she complained.
"I'm not trying to seduce Klaus, if that's what you're implying; just giving him a hard time," she mused.
Rebekah's expression of disgust contorted.
"Same thing!" Rebekah sighed, tossing her some black yoga pants, a turquoise tank top, and black zip up sweater.
Upon dressing into the clothes, she offered an anxious Rebekah fashion advice, knowing her talk with Matt would happen at some point today.
A surprisingly generous Rebekah also gave her access to her abundant supply of makeup and hair products, which she used not only on herself, but on Rebekah who continued to seek her second opinion.
It seemed fashion and beauty was two things they could agree upon. Amazingly, they didn't bicker once, save for when she caught some of Rebekah's hair in the flat iron she used.
While she was coming to appreciate having Rebekah around for these girlish amusements and pursuits, she did find herself missing these moments with Elena.
Thoughts of Elena made her nervous, as she knew Elena would most likely be returning to school today. Not only would they cross paths, but Elena would be confronted with both Rebekah and Klaus in the same room. Hopefully Stefan could help mediate the situation.
With both she and Rebekah ready for the day, they descended the stairs to Rebekah's insistence that they have breakfast with Elijah and Kol before school.
She would have really preferred not to see Kol at all, but she wasn't about to pick a fight with Rebekah now after how accommodating she had been.
Kol entered the front doors just as she and Rebekah reached the bottom of the stairs.
"Your chariot always your highness," Kol said with a mocking tone as he bowed before her.
She scoffed incredulously and Rebekah eyed them both with confusion.
"I retrieved her car from the resort. Nik so much as threatened to rip my head off if I didn't," Kol explained as he stood up straight. "I take it the two of you made up last night?" Kol smirked.
Rolling her eyes she gave him her best fake smile before turning for the kitchen.
"Why do I get the impression you two already bumped into each other?" Rebekah asked.
"Because we did," Kol said giddily, following the two of them.
"He stumbled into Finn's room last night while I was sleeping with his...what did you call them Kol? Souvenirs?" she asked. "Two girls he picked up from Vegas," she told Rebekah disapprovingly.
Rebekah looked at Kol maliciously while Kol cackled delightfully in response.
She shrugged.
"I suppose I should be thanking you," she started, "if you didn't force me out of the room, I never would have settled things with Klaus."
Kol held his hands up defensively.
"I didn't force you to leave darling. In fact, I recall inviting you to stay," he corrected.
Rebekah hit him on the shoulder.
"You're disgusting," she said to her brother, as they entered the kitchen.
"I'm going to take that as a compliment," he said as he stuffed a half of a muffin into his mouth from the platter on the counter.
Elijah was seated at the round table in the corner and he eyed the three of them curiously as he sipped from a coffee mug.
"Caroline, let me apologize for Kol's poor manners. Niklaus told me briefly what happened before he left," Elijah said, as she followed Rebekah's lead and took a seat at the table beside Elijah.
Of course, Kol took the seat beside her.
"Then I'm sure he also told you how I handled it?" she asked Elijah with a smirk as she helped herself to some food.
Elijah chuckled, looking in Kol's direction.
"Indeed," he replied.
"What happened?" Rebekah asked curiously, as she covered her plate with food.
"Well it's my understanding that Caroline physically put Kol in his place," Elijah mused.
Rebekah snorted at Kol, who responded by throwing a nectarine from the fruit platter in her direction.
"I love it when you're angry," Kol teased her, extending his arm over the back of her chair.
She lifted his arm from her chair.
"That's not what your face said last night when I knocked you down," she said, knowing her defiant words had support from both Rebekah and Elijah.
Elijah clasped his hands together loudly in an effort to distract from the tension.
"Let's discuss Niklaus's birthday tomorrow," he proposed as they ate.
"I'm working on getting a few kegs," Kol piped up excitedly.
Everyone glanced at Kol in disbelief.
"Kol, Nik isn't some frat boy who just turned twenty-one for Christ's sake. He's going to be a millennium," Rebekah chided.
She smiled at Rebekah's comment and looked to Elijah for his opinion.
"I was thinking a dinner...perhaps you could extend the invitation to your friends, it could help make them more agreeable? At the very least it would ensure that we were on the same page with the issue of the hunter," he suggested.
She nodded, even though the idea of inviting her not-so-friends to Klaus's birthday made her uneasy.
"Lame! So lame!" Kol groaned. "Come on! I want a party; drinking, music, dancing. I didn't come back to Mystic Falls for some stuffy dinner," he complained.
While she hated the idea of agreeing with Kol, he did make a good point.
She wanted Klaus to have fun and enjoy himself.
"Maybe a compromise?" she suggested.
"I like that idea best," Rebekah agreed.
Elijah shrugged approvingly.
"Will you help me out, my little party planner?" Kol asked her.
"Perhaps Caroline should be in charge of keeping Niklaus occupied tomorrow while we take care of the details?" Elijah interjected before she could answer Kol.
"Unfortunately you're probably right, Elijah," Kol agreed. "Nik can be such a control freak."
On the one hand she was relieved she wouldn't have to help Kol, on the other she was worried that without her help he would go overboard with his plans.
"You plan the dinner Elijah, I'll help Kol with the rest of the party...to keep him in check," Rebekah proposed.
"It's settled then," Elijah concluded.
Kol grovelled.
"But Bekah, you're just as controlling as Nik...you'll stifle my creativity," Kol bemoaned.
"A keg is creative?" Rebekah countered.
She smirked inwardly at the sibling bickering unfolding before her as she finished her breakfast.
Before long, Kol threw in the towel deciding to occupy himself with his souvenirs, while Rebekah decided to do one last outfit change before they left for school.
This left her alone with Elijah.
"I am truly sorry Caroline, I didn't expect Kol to be paying us a visit at such a late hour; nor did I expect he would be using Finn's old room for guests," Elijah apologized. "He has a tendency of deriving amusement from others' discomfort."
She shrugged with a smile.
"Its okay, Elijah. I'm getting used to him. He's harmless," she assured him, gazing passively out one of the large windows to the backyard grounds.
Elijah set his utensils down and pushed his empty plate aside.
"I gather from Niklaus's chipper mood and what little he had to say on the subject that you two have reconciled?" Elijah probed.
Her smile grew a little wider as she nodded.
"We have. Thanks to your advice," she told him.
"I'm glad to hear it," he replied as Rebekah returned to retrieve her.
She expected the car ride to be one of awkward silence, but she found herself surprised again as she and Rebekah spent the entire ride complaining about Kol, discussing Klaus's birthday, and plans for prom.
While she now had an idea of what to get Klaus for his birthday after last night, she still asked Rebekah for advice as they pulled into the school parking lot.
"I think Nik will be quite pleased with the Rembrandt painting I procured for him," Rebekah said proudly.
"Procured?" she asked Rebekah with a judgemental tone.
Rebekah shrugged.
"Okay, compelled into my possession," she relented.
Stealing through compulsion made her uncomfortable, but she found herself laughing along with Rebekah's admission.
"Just put a bow on your head, I'm sure Nik would love that," Rebekah said distastefully as they climbed out of the car.
They both spotted Matt walking into the school with Tyler and Rebekah reacted by straightening out her appearance.
She smiled faintly at Rebekah's desperation.
"Remember, Matt only wants to talk today at some point," she reminded her.
"I know," Rebekah snapped, a worried expression written across her face.
"I just don't want you to get your hopes...up," she said as Elena and Bonnie walked passed them a few feet in the distance.
Indifferent and anxious eye-contact was exchanged.
"Well today should be interesting," Rebekah declared as they headed for the school entrance.
As she walked uncomfortably in a pair of Rebekah's half-size too small grey flats she couldn't help but notice Klaus's SUV in the staff parking lot.
Yes, today would be very interesting.
She and Rebekah parted ways for their lockers once inside, and she changed into her running shoes immediately, hoping Rebekah's shoes had not given her a blister in the short time she had them on.
When she arrived to first period, Matt was already there, and Tyler was also present this time.
They both eye her as she took her seat.
She felt obliged to ask Tyler how he was feeling, so she did.
He gave her a blunt one-worded 'fine,' so she decided to discontinue her effort.
At least he was speaking to her, right?
"Hey," Matt whispered from her other side. "Did you check that thing out with Klaus?" he asked cryptically as she turned to face him.
He was obviously referring to the hunter. Given the uneasy ground their friendship was on, she decided not to scold him for telling Klaus about the lead. If anything, she should be thanking him. Had he not told Klaus, she would have ended up at that resort alone...
She nodded, before she reached into her purse to text him the details of what happened.
Bonnie entered the class as she sent the text. There was a solemn expression on her face. Immediately she believed it had to do with her, but she couldn't be sure.
As Bonnie took her seat in front of her, she wondered how the trip to Whitmore College went yesterday.
Thankfully, Matt was ahead of the game and asked for her.
Bonnie looked to Matt, and then to her warily, as though uncomfortable with divulging the details with her there clearly eavesdropping.
Still, Bonnie answered Matt with a shake of her head and a worried stare.
"What happened? Is Elena okay?" she asked, disregarding the silent treatment Bonnie had forced her into.
Bonnie sighed and debated about whether or not to speak.
"I think Damon's methods made things worse," Bonnie admitted. "She was completely revelling in the blood lust...in Damon," she added quietly.
Her eyes widened at the news and despite how unreasonable Elena was being with her, she felt bad for her friend.
"She hung off Damon's every word, she wouldn't even listen to me," Bonnie explained. "I don't know what to do."
She shrugged helplessly.
"Well Elena wants nothing to do with me. Maybe Stefan talked some sense into her when you got back?" she wondered.
"I don't know," Bonnie said.
She frowned.
Bonnie turned back around soon after that, as though surprised by the fact she had just effortlessly engaged in a conversation with her when she was supposed to be upset.
She sighed as she opened her textbook. Perhaps their conversation would make Bonnie realize how ridiculous ostracizing her over Klaus really was.
To her surprise, the dissection in biology went off without a hitch. She fully expected to spill the contents of her stomach during the lab, but after her partner nearly passed out, she took over the entire procedure. It seemed becoming a vampire had strengthened her gag reflex. The clothes she borrowed from Rebekah also remained unsoiled. Biology had been a success overall.
English, however, would be another story she anticipated as she slipped through the mass of students who were also on their way to their next classes.
She had not seen Klaus – er Mr. Mikaelson - once yet today. Maybe that was a good thing, she thought. That led her to wonder if Elena had seen him yet. Surely Stefan had informed her with the news to prepare her for what she would be walking into this afternoon.
When she arrived to English class she was dismayed to find Stefan's seat vacant. Fully expecting Elena to be a no-show, she was a little stunned when an antsy looking Elena took her seat beside Stefan's empty one.
Since most of the class was comprised of independent study time while the teacher marked assignments, there was not much opportunity for she and Elena to cross paths, although their eyes did meet from time to time.
Even for being a vampire, Elena looked haggard. She looked tired and almost sad. Despite her worry, she didn't confront Elena when she darted out of the classroom as the bell for lunch rang.
Instead, she texted Stefan and scurried off to her own locker for her cheer uniform.
She changed into the outfit in the washroom, thanking her lucky stars when she found a pair of the matching red boy shorts she usually wore underneath the uniform's skirt in her gym bag. The skirt was always a little short, especially for the complex routines they did. Fixing her hair, she laughed to herself in the mirror at the prospect of Klaus – Mr. Mikaelson – seeing her like this. Just because she agreed to his teacher character, didn't mean she would make it easy for him.
Rebekah already had the table and posters set up in the concourse outside the cafeteria when she arrived. Luckily, one of the other committee girls was wearing the timberwolf mascot costume, so she didn't feel entirely out of place in her cheer outfit. When Rebekah noticed her, she simply smirked and shook her head disdainfully.
She sat down beside Rebekah.
"You will regret toying with my brother," Rebekah said laughingly.
She shrugged and brushed her hair off her shoulder.
"We'll see," she said simply.
Rebekah handed her the small cash drawer.
"You're in charge of the money. I'll fill out the tickets," she told her.
She nodded without protest, although mentally making change was not one of her strong suits.
It was only the first day of ticket sales, and half-way into the lunch hour there was a decent line-up of students waiting to buy tickets for the event. It was exciting. This was her prom – well her and Rebekah's prom if she felt like being fair – and it already seemed as though it would be a huge success.
And in the midst of dealing with the ticket demands, she caught sight of him.
Her chest tightened, and if she had a heart, she was sure it would be pounding frantically. He made her nervous, but in a good way; in the butterflies in the stomach sort of way.
It probably had a lot to do with the fact that in this setting he was her teacher and she had to hide her true emotions, but she couldn't anticipate a day where a glimpse of him wouldn't stir something inside of her.
He was impeccably dressed as usual, even though it was technically dress-down day for staff on Fridays. To his credit, he was missing the jacket and tie this time. Moreover, the white collared shirt he was practically modelling was partly unbuttoned and his sleeves were rolled up just under his elbows. Still, the grey dress pants and black leather shoes contradicted his efforts at casual.
Even if she had still been angry with him today after last night, her eyes still would have managed to find an excuse to stare and admire.
She kept her eyes on him as he approached with Mrs. Jones, the vice principal, who, if she could hear correctly, was chatting his ear off about how she studied history during her undergrad. Little did she know that Klaus had lived the history she studied, she mused.
As they got closer, she saw him take note of the prom banner above her and Rebekah before his attention dropped lower. He made direct eye contact with her as he passed with Mrs. Jones, a sly smirk playing on his lips; one that she reciprocated as her mouth went dry and her body went slack.
"Hey, can I get my change?" a familiar female voice requested, snapping her out of her trance.
She looked up to see Elena extending four twenty dollar bills in her direction.
"Oh yeah, sorry," she stammered. "I was completely out of it...not paying attention," she said, making polite small talk as she took Elena's money and gave her back a five.
Elena gave her a small smile and nodded.
She wondered briefly if Elena had seen Klaus yet or not.
Rebekah took two tickets from the stack and readied her pen, before Elena stopped her
"One ticket is for me, but can you leave the other one blank?" she asked.
"Well we like to have the names written down of who is attending for place cards and to ensure that non-students without permission slips aren't attending," Rebekah said with a lowly bitchy tone.
Wasn't Elena taking Stefan to prom? What the hell was going on?
"Give her a blank ticket," she interrupted.
Rebekah glared at her in protest.
"Just do it," she urged.
Sighing, Rebekah handed Elena a ticket with her name and a blank one, before writing Elena's name on their guest-list in progress.
Elena gave her an appreciative look before disappearing down the hall.
"What the hell was that about?" Rebekah whispered.
She shrugged as she accepted money from another student-customer.
"I don't know..."
Rebekah leaned in closer to her.
"P.S. I think there's a little bit of drool on your chin," Rebekah snorted, referring to the sighing of Klaus. "You may want to try and be a bit more discreet," she joked.
She had scrambled to help Rebekah and the other girls take down the table and banners for prom tickets towards the end of the lunch hour so she could scurry off quickly to history class and arrive early.
Looking through the small window in the door to the classroom, she saw no one.
Smiling at the small dash of luck, she slipped into the room and shut the door behind her.
Hurriedly, she rushed towards his desk, keeping an ear on the hallway for any incoming students.
She opened the top drawer.
When the bell complained to announce the end of lunch she nearly jumped a foot in the air, and the sound of Klaus's approaching voice almost literally put her stomach in her throat.
Taking a brief second to calm herself, she slipped the dainty red material into the drawer, slamming it shut just as Klaus opened the door.
He eyed her with a suspicious smirk.
"Miss. Forbes," he greeted.
"Mr. Mikaelson," she smiled, noticing the way his eyes travelled down her body.
Her smile was quickly replaced with a frown when Jennifer Hastings appeared in the doorway behind him like a dependent puppy dog.
"I didn't know it was still cheer season?" he remarked as he rounded his desk and she stepped back.
"It isn't," Jennifer stated.
Her eyes darkened at Jennifer before returning to a calmer expression as she looked in Klaus's direction.
"No, it isn't. But Rebekah and I are selling prom tickets at lunch now, and this was the only spirit wear I had in my locker," she reasoned.
Klaus shrugged.
"I suppose I can't fault you for wanting to get into the spirit then," Klaus mused, setting his bag on the desk. "However, I am curious to know what you were doing so early in my classroom, behind my desk no less?" he asked with an arched eyebrow.
"...um...cleaning the boards!" she stammered. "I got here early after helping Rebekah, and some students must have been in here during lunch and they made a mess with the chalk," she explained.
Both Klaus and Jennifer looked at her distrustfully.
"Oh, well thanks," Klaus said. "Miss. Hastings, you said you had something to show me?" Klaus asked, completely disregarding her for Jennifer.
Jennifer's eyes lit up as she turned her admiring attention towards Klaus. She opened a binder.
"These are some of the primary documents I found related to the First World War," she said excitedly.
She wanted to be sick.
Knowingly acting on her jealous impulse, she stopped Jennifer in her tracks before she could approach Klaus any further.
She put on a bright fake smile as Jennifer looked at her with annoyance.
Narrowing her eyes, she grabbed her attention with compulsion.
"Um, I don't think Mr. Mikaelson wants to hear about your boring research. So maybe you should take a seat before class starts, okay?" she said in a bubbly but sarcastic voice.
"You're right," Jennifer said with an apologetic laugh. "Sorry," she continued, before turning for her seat.
She looked back victoriously at Klaus who was clearly amused by the scene that had just taken place.
He was about to speak, but a group of students entered the classroom and she took the interruption as an opportunity to take her seat.
Rebekah entered soon after the first group and shot a snarky glance in her brother's direction as he prepared his notes for the class.
She smirked to herself.
"Hello class," Klaus started, slipping on those damn glasses again before continuing, "I'm glad to see most of you back...I suppose that means I didn't intimidate you with my intensive plans for the rest of the term," he mused, approaching the lectern with the attendance sheet and his notes. "Then again, it's probably too late to drop the course anyways."
He went silent for a few moments as he eyed his papers before proceeding with the attendance.
She fought the urge to be hypnotized by how...sexy...the class list sounded coming from his lips.
"Caroline?" he called.
"Here," she responded, this time a little over-zealously.
Klaus chuckled.
"Enthusiastic attendance response doesn't count as a part of your participation grade," he joked, provoking a bit of laughter from the rest of the class – including Rebekah. "Just in case any of you were wondering," he added, staring in her direction before returning to the list.
Her brows furrowed at his attempt to embarrass her.
Any attempt to seethe in her annoyance was halted by the door clicking open just as Klaus said Elena's name.
Speak of the devil she thought as Elena stepped into the doorway.
"Elena, I presume?" Klaus asked smartly as a very stunned and unsure Elena entered the room, glaring first at Klaus and then at her.
Elena said nothing in response, turning down the row of desks to her seat while Klaus checked her off on the attendance anyways.
"And as I'm sure you've already presumed, I'll be your history teacher for the rest of the term," Klaus said to a very uninterested Elena. "Mr. Mikaelson," he finished, grinning at Elena's sarcastic reaction.
She tried hard to look away from Elena, but she could almost feel Elena's burning anger. It was nothing new though. She had been dealing with Elena's anger for a while. She could handle this. Klaus teaching their class wasn't something she was entirely happy about either, but it had its benefits. And no, she did not mean the fact that Klaus made for great after lunch eye candy, either. It was comforting to know he was here if the hunter showed or if the Council decided to defy his threats and enacted some form of retaliation here at the school. Elena might hate Klaus, but she was safe with him here.
There was still no text response from Stefan, so she texted him once more. His absence coupled with Elena's dishevelled appearance and odd prom ticket request worried her.
"I'm going to pick up where I left off yesterday afternoon. I want to wrap up my lecture on the long-term causes of the First World War," Klaus decided as he moved across the front of the room casually.
She noticed Jennifer Hastings and her girlfriends were still exchanging whispers and smirks. Obviously she should have taken the compulsion a step further, she thought.
"Would anyone like to tell me what the Triple Alliance and the Triple Entente were and explain their broader significance in relation to the war?" he reviewed, eyeing the class.
Nobody seemed enthused at first to answer, although she noticed Jennifer pathetically flipping through the pages of her textbook in search of the answer.
Before he even spoke again, she had a feeling he would pick on her.
"Miss. Forbes, care to earn those participation marks?" he asked as he started for her row.
Her cheeks grew red. She hated being called on even when the teacher was a normal teacher. Having it be Klaus made her feel even more flustered.
"I don't know the answer," she admitted.
"Surely you do; there was a whole section devoted to this in the textbook reading I assigned," he reminded her.
So apparently he expected her to finish her homework last night somewhere in between stalking the hunter and fighting with him.
"I didn't do the readings," she said defiantly as he reached her desk.
Outwardly he appeared displeased as his eyes bore down into hers, but she could still see a playful smirk tugging at the corners of his lips.
"Oh? Something better to do?" he inquired, looking around at the rest of the class who were also waiting expectantly for her answer.
She shrugged with a sigh.
"My boyfriend was being kind of an ass...uh, jerk," she corrected, smiling up at him.
Rebekah snorted aloud and she even noticed Elena had a semi-amused expression on her face.
Klaus spun around on his heel in Rebekah's direction.
"Rebekah, since you're so knowledgeable, how about you give it a shot?" he challenged, completely ignoring Jennifer's eager hand.
"The Triple Alliance was an accord between Germany, Austria-Hungary, and Italy, solidified at the end of the nineteenth century whereby the three countries agreed to support one another in the event of an attack from another country. The Triple Entente was an alliance between Britain, France, and Russia solidified in the early twentieth century that functioned similarly to the Triple Alliance. These alliances would come into play when Austria-Hungary declared war on Serbia," Rebekah described smugly.
"Good, Rebekah," Klaus offered with almost a bored tone as he started back for the front of the classroom.
Her unfortunate luck would dictate at this moment that her cell phone's ringtone would go off.
Klaus stopped dead in his tracks.
She looked down at the phone in her lap quickly to notice it was a message from Stefan. He didn't feel like talking about whatever was going on right now. He said he would talk to her later.
When she looked up, Klaus was glaring at her.
"Is that your scorned boyfriend, Miss. Forbes?" Klaus wondered, prompting a few laughs from the class.
She shook her head.
"Turn it off and put it away. If I see or hear it again, I'll confiscate it," Klaus instructed sternly.
His demanding tone sent shivers down her spine – the good kind – and while she knew a part of him was serious, she knew there was another part of him thoroughly enjoying the opportunity to boss her around and humiliate her in front of the class.
When he turned back for the lectern, she quickly sent a text to his phone under her desk, hoping her plan would work.
A wide smile crossed her face when Klaus's phone began to vibrate and sound from the pocket of his pants.
The entire class erupted into an anxious laughter as Klaus fished the phone from his pocket.
"I suppose I should heed my own advice," he said, silencing the phone as he briefly read the message she had sent.
The message contained specific instructions; instructions to look in the top right drawer of his desk.
"So getting back on topic," he continued, "I want to wrap up the discussion on the lead up to the war, and then perhaps we'll get into the first small assignment towards the end," he explained, never once making eye contact with her as he did what her message requested and moved towards his desk. "Yesterday I detailed the militaristic build up at the turn of the twentieth century, and the as well as the complicated alliances formed leading up to the conflict. Today, in relation to that, I want to discuss nationalism and imperialism. Then on Monday we'll move onto the immediate causes," he continued as he slid open the drawer cautiously.
He tried to conceal it, but she couldn't mistake the intrigued expression that crossed his features as he spotted what she had left for him there.
"So let's get started," he said, his eyes discreetly catching hers as he shut the drawer and returned to the lectern.
Klaus continued with the subject and she tried to listen intently as she made every effort to ignore the occasional glares from Elena, the fleeting sexy smirks from Klaus, and the worry she had for Stefan.
Half-way through the class, Klaus was finished his lecture.
She waited curiously to see what he had planned next.
"Now I'm going to assign you into groups. Each group will be given one of these long-term causes I've outlined, and I want you to summarize the cause and its importance into a few points. Each group will present the summarized points to the rest of the class. I recommend taking notes, as these will be useful for the purposes of studying," Klaus announced.
Of course, Klaus purposely assigned her to a group comprised of Elena, Rebekah, Jennifer, and Chris – a nerdy recluse whom she had barely spoken a word to since they both began at Mystic Falls High.
She moved reluctantly towards Elena and Rebekah, while observing Klaus from the corner of her eye, who was now relaxing at his desk with a book in hand.
He had assigned their group the issue of alliances, which was great, she thought, since Rebekah had seemed to know so much.
Their group came together around Elena and Rebekah's desks as the other groups broke off into their respective places.
Elena and Chris were silent, while Jennifer was a little too enthusiastic about the assignment, quickly listing the points they should make.
Rebekah turned to Jennifer and quickly compelled her to write her ideas down, effectively overriding what Jennifer had to contribute. She couldn't help but laugh at Rebekah's manipulation while it earned a scoff from Elena. Chris remained clueless, and seemed more interested in doodling in his notebook.
When her phone began to vibrate quietly, she concealed the phone in her hands and regarded the screen carefully.
It was a message from Klaus.
"One less item of clothing I'll have to remove from your body later," it read.
Her cheeks flushed with excitement as she looked over at Klaus, who, sure enough, was staring back at her.
"Who says there will be a later?" she replied, playing coy.
"I do," he responded quickly. "And so does the unrelenting scent of your arousal," he followed up.
She blushed as she felt a dull ache at her core. Ignoring his message and clenching her legs together, she put her phone down and looked up at Elena and Rebekah who were eyeing her suspiciously.
"I think we're done," Rebekah declared as she looked over what she had compelled Jennifer to write down. "What do you think, Elena?" she asked, handing Elena the piece of paper.
Elena pushed the paper away defiantly and crossed her arms.
"I think this whole thing is ridiculous," she remarked bitterly, obviously referring not only to their group, but to Klaus as history teacher. "Did you all come up with this plan to torture me?" Elena spat.
She frowned regrettably, although she felt more anger than remorse.
"Thought it would be fun to rub it all in a little more?" Elena asked, while Chris was completely tuned out of their conversation and Jennifer was busy focusing on the paper Rebekah set back in front of her.
"Yes, actually," Rebekah shot back to Elena.
She glared at Rebekah, upset by her eager desire to give Elena what she wanted to hear.
Admittedly, Elena's attitude was beginning to wear on her. She could only take so much of her accusatory tone and refusal to understand.
"Elena, not everything is about you," she muttered.
Elena's eyes widened, shocked by her sour tone.
"Klaus isn't here because we all conspired to torment you. Why would I do something like that when all I've been trying to do since the Miss Mystic thing was earn your forgiveness?" she wondered.
Rebekah scoffed.
"Caroline, you have nothing to earn forgiveness for," Rebekah lamented.
She ignored Rebekah's attempt to interject.
"Klaus is here to look out for me...and by extension all of my friends. This hunter is serious. He's trained; he knows what he's doing. If he were to come to the school right now he could easily kill any one of us...you, me, Stefan," she said, noticing how Elena winced slightly with the mention of her absent supposed boyfriend. "There are Council members as staff here too...they could turn their backs on Klaus's threat at any time if they really wanted to," she pointed out. "That's why Klaus is here," she finished.
She frowned when she realized Elena didn't appear to be buying it.
"Since you lot are all so chatty, perhaps you would like to present yours to the class first?" Klaus's voice suggested, tearing through the tense conversation.
Elena shrugged with an eye roll, and Rebekah tore the paper from Jennifer, selecting herself to be the one to speak to the class.
She almost wanted to thank Klaus for breaking up what surely would have become an intense blow up between her and Elena.
Once Rebekah was finished outlining their summary, Klaus moved onto another group nonchalantly.
When the last group was finished, she scurried back to her own desk, antsy to remove herself from the awkwardness that was her current relationship with Elena.
"Before I dismiss the class, by next Friday I would like a short essay from each of you that discusses which long-term cause of the war you believe to be most significant. While I realize each of them set in motion the events we know as the First World War, I would like to you single out which one you believe to be the most important and why. The essay should be a few pages, typed, double spaced. I want to see a clear thesis, concise arguments, and the incorporation of outside sources; footnotes and a bibliography are a must. See you on Monday," Klaus finished.
There was a unanimous groan from the class as everyone gathered up their things to leave.
As the door opened, she noticed Bonnie standing in the doorway, likely waiting for Elena.
She followed a bit behind Elena, ignoring Klaus who has been bombarded by a few students probably there to ask him panicked questions about the assignment.
To her surprise, as she reached the doorway, Elena completely blew Bonnie off, declaring that she was heading home.
Bonnie was left standing there shocked and dismayed.
"That was probably my fault," she apologized, as she stood to the side of the classroom door so other students could file out.
Bonnie peered into the classroom before looking at her.
"Mr. Mikaelson, a.k.a. Klaus wouldn't have had anything to do with it?" Bonnie asked suspiciously.
Rebekah exited the class, exchanging a knowing glance with her before she returned her attention towards Bonnie.
"Probably; Elena wasn't too keen on my explanation," she revealed.
"Why is he here?" Bonnie asked.
She sighed.
"Well Elena thinks he's here to make her life a living hell, but he's really here just looking out for me and everyone else as a result. This hunter is no joke, Bonnie. Klaus doesn't want to take any chances," she reasoned.
Bonnie seemed more receptive to her explanation than Elena had.
"I think something's going on with Elena and Stefan. Stefan was a no-show today, and at lunch Elena left her second prom ticket blank," she informed Bonnie. "Maybe you should go check in on her later? She may be more receptive to talking to you."
Bonnie shrugged apprehensively.
"I should get to my next class," Bonnie said as she looked down the hall. "Listen, the professor I met yesterday has been helping me with my magic, so if you need any help with the hunter let me know," she offered.
"Thanks, Bonnie," she replied with a smile.
As Bonnie disappeared down the hall, she heard his throat clear from inside the classroom.
"Miss. Forbes, can I have a word?" his voice demanded, making her tingle.
She turned into the doorway; finding the classroom now empty, save for Klaus who was sitting casually behind his desk.
Stepping back into the room, she went to shut the door, but he halted her.
"Don't close the door, it's against school policy," he chided with a grin.
"I really have somewhere to be," she said, noting his devilish stare.
"Oh?" he asked curiously, as he opened the same drawer he had earlier.
"My boyfriend's birthday is tomorrow. I need to go shopping," she informed him.
He eyed her curiously as he removed the red material from the drawer.
She glared at him and looked back to the now empty hall self-consciously, worried that someone might see.
"This is the...ass...jerk?" he chuckled. "He doesn't sound deserving of a gift," he observed, as he toyed with her undergarment.
"We made up," she stated.
He arched an eyebrow.
"Not quite," he commented suggestively.
She bit her lip and fought hard to stop her legs from buckling.
All she wanted to do now was climb into his lap and kiss those perfect lips of his, but she refrained.
"I believe this belongs to you," he said with a devious tone, tossing her the pair of underwear.
Her reflexes responded and she caught it.
His attention then dropped to a few papers on his desk, and she stood there almost bewildered searching for something to say.
Should she break this little game they were playing?
Deciding to remain quiet, she turned diffidently for the exit.
"Miss. Forbes?" he called after her.
She looked back over her shoulder.
"Keep them off," he instructed.
Clenching her hands around the material, she knew exactly what he was referring to.
Without a response, she tucked the garment in her bag and she left the room, this time shutting the door behind her.
Once on the other side she took a moment to breathe and settle her light-headedness. She could practically feel the heat burning between her thighs.
The rest of her free period she spent running errands, which included picking up what she decided to get Klaus for his birthday present. She also returned home to speak with her mom before she left again for work, detailing some of the events of last night and urging her mother to see that it was better if she stayed with Klaus while the hunter was still out there. To her surprise, her mother was easily convinced, and she packed some of her clothes before returning to school for her final class. Her mother had said nothing of Dean, or his kidney, and she didn't ask.
When school was done for the day, she rushed to her car anxious to return to Klaus's where she hoped he would soon be as well.
However, her excitement fell when she met Rebekah leaning against her passenger door in the parking lot.
"Took you long enough," Rebekah groaned.
"What are you doing here? I thought you and Matt..." she started, only entertaining the possibility as she spoke that perhaps a talk between Rebekah and Matt didn't go as Rebekah had hoped.
"That's not until later. He has a shift right after school. In the meantime, I told Adrian, my dressmaker to meet us back at the house. He's eager to take your measurements and show you some fabrics and designs," Rebekah said.
She groaned inwardly. Meeting with Rebekah's dressmaker was the last thing on her mind at the moment.
Despite that, she went along with Rebekah's plan anyways. Prom was close and they didn't have much time left. Moreover, Rebekah was set upon this idea.
When they arrived back at the Mikaelson home, she and Rebekah found Adrian in the sitting room off of Klaus's study measuring Elijah.
"Don't you have enough tailored suits?" Rebekah remarked.
Elijah chuckled.
"What did you say a few minutes ago Adrian?" Elijah asked.
Adrian, a short middle-aged man with salt and pepper hair appeared from behind Elijah with some measuring tape.
"A man can never have enough good suits," he said with a hint of an Italian accent.
Elijah sighed in satisfaction.
"It used to be that if you dressed well you were a gentleman. Now you're gay or metro sexual," Elijah said disdainfully.
"Yes modern man is rather daft," Rebekah agreed as she pulled her into the room.
"Adrian, this is Caroline. Caroline, this is Adrian del Sarto. His grandfather and grandmother made custom suits and dresses for us in the nineteen-twenties," Rebekah informed her.
Adrian greeted her with a friendly handshake and a chaste kiss on the cheek.
"So you are Niklaus's muse Rebekah has told me of," he concluded.
She nodded modestly, unsure if 'muse' was the right word.
"And you're in need of a dress for prom?" he inquired.
She nodded again.
He clapped his hands together enthusiastically.
"Then Rebekah has done you a great favour by introducing us. I will make you the perfect dress," he assured her.
She smiled as his reassurance brought relief and his excitement rubbed off on her.
"I'm sure you will Adrian, just not as perfect as mine, okay?" Rebekah said both jokingly and honestly.
Both Elijah and Adrian chuckled, while she rolled her eyes at Rebekah's comment.
"I'll be in Niklaus's study making some arrangements for tomorrow," Elijah informed them. "Call me when my suit is ready for a fitting Adrian," Elijah added before disappearing into the adjacent room.
Adrian pulled out a rather large black portfolio folder from his bag, and opened it on the coffee table, spreading out each design he had drawn, along with a sample of colours and material.
She gasped at his talent and attention to detail as she looked over the drawings.
"These are beautiful," she said as Rebekah nudged her out of the way to examine them.
There were a variety dress styles; some with sleeves, some without; shorter skirts and lengthier ones; full gowns and closer fits. The creativity and thought put into the designs was astounding and almost seemed a little overboard. She could only imagine the demands Rebekah had made with her dress.
"This one is definitely not a contender," Rebekah scowled, "it looks too much like mine."
She cast that sketch to the side.
While Rebekah's haughty demeanor was unwelcome, she had barely examined the sketches long enough to develop a preference yet anyways.
The colour suggestions were comprised of the variety she had mentioned to Rebekah. Light blues, yellows, pinks, greens, and purples were all displayed, along with ivories, creams, and greys.
"Does anything catch your eye?" Adrian asked as he stood over the table anxiously.
She nodded.
"I like everything," she exclaimed. "The options are overwhelming," she admitted as she ran her hands over the textiles. "You really didn't have to do all this."
Adrian smiled as he pulled out a cloth tape measure.
"Rebekah insisted," Adrian pointed out.
She looked over at Rebekah who seemed to be revelling in the fact that she had suggested this.
As she mulled over each dress design the expense of such an effort crossed her mind. Rebekah had said she would compel him to make her a dress, but she didn't feel right about that. Nor did she feel right about Klaus paying for it either. There was no way that she could afford this on her own though.
"Maybe this isn't a good idea," she hesitated. "I don't want to be a burden."
Rebekah shook her head.
"The only other dress Adrian is working on right now is mine. its fine," Rebekah urged.
"But this is expensive," she protested.
Rebekah rolled her eyes.
"I told you, I'd handle that," Rebekah said.
She sighed in exasperation while her eyes studied over the dress ideas some more.
"Why don't we take some measurements while you think things over?" Adrian suggested.
Deciding that to be preferable, she nodded and stood up from the sofa.
She was a little hesitant when Adrian began taking measurements, given the cheerleading skirt and the secret she was hiding for Klaus underneath, but none of the measurements required him to kneel in any position that might have been unflattering for her. He wanted to do a hollow-to-hem measurement which would have required him to measure down to her feet, but because she had no idea what shoes she would be wearing yet, any measurement taken like that would be inaccurate, so her prom procrastination had saved her from a potentially embarrassing situation.
"I like this one," Rebekah said, holding up the sketch so she could see. "I'm not a fan of the short ones."
Their attention was taken away from the drawing when the front door opened and shut loudly.
"Nik is home," Rebekah stated.
He hadn't even bothered pulling his SUV into the garage, eager to get inside when he noticed Caroline's car in the drive. He half expected her to be here, having driven past her house on his way home to find no one there. Truthfully though there was a part of him that jumped to the worst case scenario immediately.
With his worries quelled by relief, he gathered up his school work from the backseat and started for the house, disregarding as an afterthought the silver sports car parked in front of Caroline's car.
After all the unremitting flirtation they had put each other through today, all he wanted her skin against his. She wasn't lying when she said she wasn't going to make his teacher role easy. The cheerleading uniform was one thing, but the underwear was just cruel. As much as he wanted to give into her teasing earlier, he held back. He was well aware of the game she was playing.
But all games were off when that final bell rang. He had been determined to leave immediately to have his way with her, but that incessant Mrs. Jones stopped him in the hall to remind him of a last minute staff meeting. He was tempted to kill the woman on the spot, but the presence of other staff and students stopped him.
So he went to the meeting and listened as Mrs. Jones rambled on about new student disciplinary guidelines, the exam schedule for the end of term, and grade submission procedures and deadlines.
Really, the meeting had only lasted a half-hour, but that was a half-hour too long.
He stormed out of the school, not surprised to find Caroline's car already gone.
Stepping inside the house, he listened carefully, disappointed when he placed Caroline with Rebekah in the sitting room rather than alone in his bedroom waiting for him. There was another voice. An accented voice he concluded belonged to Adrian del Sarto, the tailor and dressmaker.
He headed in that direction as it was on the way to his study anyways.
To his surprise and annoyance he found Adrian draping a tape measure around Caroline's chest, while Rebekah was nitpicking through a few swatches of material.
"Klaus, it is lovely to see you," Adrian spoke obediently, stepping away from Caroline.
While he had a sneaking suspicion Adrian was gay, he had been previously married to a woman, and his hands on Caroline – if even for an apparent measurement – unnerved him.
"I'm not sure if the feeling is mutual," he said, garnering a scoff from Rebekah.
Caroline was eyeing him anxiously.
"Nik, Adrian is here to measure Caroline for a prom dress," Rebekah explained.
He relaxed a little, although still frustrated by the fact that Caroline was otherwise occupied at the moment.
"Isn't it a little late for that?" he wondered, looking to Caroline for an answer.
Rebekah shook her head, deciding to answer for her.
"No, Adrian has a pretty open schedule at the moment," she said.
He knew exactly what that meant. She had compelled him to put all other jobs on hold or abandon them altogether for the time being.
"...and...I told him you would pay him a bit extra," Rebekah said in the sweetest voice she could muster.
That was the biggest catch. While he often paid for things to keep the suspicion off of himself – he could afford it – the notion of paying for a prom dress was ridiculous.
"How generous of you, sister," he said through gritted teeth.
"Well I thought you'd want Caroline to have the best dress – aside from mine," Rebekah replied.
Rebekah gave him a snide smile as he noted how uncomfortable Caroline had become upon sensing his displeasure.
"You don't have to do this," Caroline offered.
While there were better things he could spend his money on, he knew he would relent; not only because Rebekah had already jumped the gun and made a commitment, but because he could tell this was something Caroline wanted. His old self was scolding him for letting someone else's wants become his own, but it was hard to resist the blonde, blue-eyed vampire in a cheerleading uniform standing hopefully across from him.
"Which one have you selected?" he asked with a sigh, looking down at the sketches.
He was barely interested in prom, let alone a dress, but he found himself curious.
"I haven't," Caroline responded.
"Perhaps you could give your aesthetic opinion?" Adrian suggested to him.
He briefly scanned over the options. He wanted to joke about which one would be the cheapest, but he knew that would only garner an unfavourable response all around.
Going with the first one that caught his eye, he pointed to a strapless floor length gown.
"That one," he said simply.
"I didn't pick that one," Rebekah sighed.
Caroline, however, seemed considerate.
"I'll be in my study. See me when you're finished," he said, with particular attention on Caroline.
Sooner, rather than later, he thought to himself.
She nodded with a small smile.
When he entered his study from the open doors off the sitting room, he groaned as he spotted Elijah at his desk in the middle of a phone call.
Elijah promptly finished the conversation upon noting his arrival.
"I suppose I should have built a house twice the size if I wanted any space to myself," he complained, setting his books and bags down on the desk in front of Elijah.
Elijah stood and buttoned the coat of his jacket.
"Well I was seeing Adrian about procuring myself another suit, but, as I'm sure you saw, Rebekah and Caroline took over," he chuckled, heading over table of liquor he had on hand.
He nodded with a glare as he took Elijah's place at the desk.
"You seem a bit frazzled brother. Would you care for a drink?" Elijah offered.
"Rye," he said, motioning with his hand.
Elijah selected two glasses and the appropriate decanter.
"Rough day at work?" Elijah asked with a smirk as he handed him a glass.
He peered at Elijah over the rim of the glass with an unimpressed stare.
"Not at all, brother," he mused, propping his feet up on the desk. "Teaching is a breeze. The modern curriculum is laughable. The students, however, are another matter," he explained, nodding his head back towards the other room.
Elijah laughed as he took a seat on the edge of the desk.
"Just be grateful that Kol didn't decide to enrol," Elijah pointed out.
He exhaled sharply in relief.
"Where is our younger brother anyways?" he inquired, not wanting any unexpected surprises later.
Elijah shrugged.
"I haven't made a point of keeping my eye on him, but I surmise he's otherwise occupied with his souvenirs from Las Vegas," he suspected.
He pointed his finger at Elijah.
"Mark my words Elijah, if he does anything further to make Caroline uncomfortable, there's a dagger waiting with his name on it," he grumbled before taking another sip of his drink.
Elijah chuckled as he set his own glass down.
"You know, I think Caroline handles Kol quite well. She seems to put him in his place better than any of us," Elijah observed.
"Regardless," he huffed with a shrug of defiance.
Both of them drank in silence for a few moments, the sounds Rebekah and Caroline's giddy excitement filtering through the air.
"Rebekah and Caroline seem to be getting on rather well as of late," Elijah commented.
"That tends to happen when you have a mutual goal. I expect they'll be back to bickering when prom is over," he concluded.
Elijah smirked.
"Perhaps you're right, but maybe not," Elijah responded. "Rebekah's always lacked female companionship; something Caroline doesn't have an abundance of either at the moment."
"Your point, brother?" he groaned into his glass.
"They sound happy," Elijah shrugged.
He chuckled sarcastically.
"Who wouldn't be happy having fun on someone else's dime?" he remarked.
"Surely you're not really upset about paying for Caroline's dress? It won't even put a dent in your accounts, Niklaus," Elijah said.
He shook his head.
"No, I'm not upset about that. It's our sister using my accounts as they were her own personal piggy bank," he complained. "She's constantly reminding me of her own personal wealth, so why doesn't she put her money where her mouth is?" he wondered.
"As far as I know, Rebekah already purchased her dress. This is for Caroline. You know Caroline would never come to you for such a thing. She's far too polite," Elijah noted.
He conceded Elijah's point, knowing that if Rebekah hadn't offered, Caroline never would have asked him and would have resigned herself to an average dress that she could pay for herself; compulsion for trivial desires was beneath her.
As silence broke up their conversation he had to admit that Elijah was also right on another point. It was nice to hear Caroline laugh. They had been through a lot in the past while. She had made a lot of sacrifices; namely her friends. Her laughter was reassuring.
"The hunter is definitely part of the Five," he spoke. "The stakes that hit me last night had their symbol carved into them," he explained. "Caroline knows."
Elijah gave him a surprised look.
"You told her? Everything?" Elijah asked, obviously referring to the prospect of a cure.
"Everything," he nodded.
"How did she react?" Elijah wondered curiously.
"She recognizes the importance of obtaining the cure before anyone else. She's still not keen on my continued desire for hybrids, but she wasn't opposed to it either in lieu of the Five," he informed Elijah.
His brother nodded pensively.
"Did she happen to share her opinion on the cure?" Elijah questioned carefully.
He eyed Elijah definitively.
"She doesn't want it for herself," he revealed.
Elijah's eyes widened.
"That astonishes you? Has she given you reason to believe otherwise?" he asked Elijah self-consciously.
Elijah shook his head.
"No, it's just a big decision. She cares for you a great deal. She sees you as her future. I'm not surprised," Elijah reassured him. "You must be pleased," he added.
Before he could respond, Elijah's phone began to sound.
"Excuse me," Elijah said, pulling his phone out from inside his coat pocket.
Sliding off the desk, he answered the phone, exiting the room as he did so.
He leaned against the back of the desk chair and savoured the last remaining drops of his drink.
Truth be told, he was pleased. Perhaps more pleased than he could care to admit to anyone – even Elijah.
He spent perhaps close to another hour preparing lectures for next week's classes before he finally sensed her in the doorway off of the sitting room.
When he heard the lock to the solid wood pocket doors click, he turned his head slightly to conceal a smirk.
She was what he wanted literally all day from the moment he woke up this morning to her sleeping soundly pressed up against him, and yet, he found himself playing hard to get. The anticipation was sometimes just as sweet as the actual moment. He wanted her to work for it.
He busied himself for a few seconds on the computer, before returning to his notebook.
"If you're busy, I can come back," she offered unsurely as she stepped across the wood floor.
The idea of telling her he was indeed busy crossed his mind in hopes she might refuse to leave, but he knew she would take him too seriously.
"This is merely a distraction, love. I'll be done in a minute. Grab a drink if you'd like," he suggested.
She snickered as she approached the desk and retrieved his glass.
"Offering underage students liquor now?" she said in a chastising tone.
He looked over his book briefly once she had her back to him at the table of spirits. His eyes noted the odd way she stood partially on her toes before they dared to travel higher up her bare ivory legs. The short cheerleading skirt did not leave much to the imagination. Then again, he didn't need his imagination to know what was underneath the small amount of material waiting for him. Wandering up higher, he noted the dimples in her lower back, exposed by the separated hems of her skirt and top.
"I only said drink," he reminded her coyly.
As he ran his tongue over his lips, she turned around with two drinks in hand. He closed his mouth promptly.
"I'm parched," he explained, receiving the drink from her extended hand. "Thanks."
Their eyes met briefly before he turned back to his notepad with his glass pressed firmly to his lips.
He was pleased to meet the taste of rye with his tongue. She had obviously been perfecting her vampire ability to acutely discern specific smells.
Taste, however, was still another story, as he heard her wince slightly as she sipped the straight liquor.
He wanted to taste her, he thought to himself as he tried to ignore her and focus on his work.
It was no use, she was leaning against his desk and he could see her bare legs from his peripheral vision. He could feel her looking over his shoulder.
"What are you working on?" she finally asked.
"Next week's lectures," he responded casually, closing the notebook once he was satisfied with the outlines he had prepared.
He wheeled his leather chair closer to the desk so he could attend to the open items on his computer.
"Adrian left," she explained as he heard her stand up from the desk and circle behind his chair.
"Did you pick a dress?" he inquired absently as he scrolled through a few programs.
Her fingertips brushed against his back and he felt her lean in closer to him.
"I did," she answered. "I think you'll like it," she added, her voice quieter this time.
He couldn't resist a scoff and a snide remark.
"I should hope so. If I know Adrian at all, I'll be paying handsomely for it," he replied.
She sighed.
"I told you, you didn't..." –
- "I'm joking," he assured her. "Just make sure Adrian sees to it that it is easily removable," he mused.
She giggled under her breath as she set her glass down beside his on the desk.
"Thank you," she murmured while both her hands slid over his shoulders.
He exhaled slowly while trying harder to focus on the screen in front of him.
"Rebekah's upstairs getting ready for her date with Matt," Caroline pointed out.
"A date?" he wondered.
"Well it's more of a reassessment, or evaluation," she said anxiously as her hands dug into his shoulders in the most relaxing of ways.
"Oh..." he replied with a small smile, a little too enthusiastically and less inquisitively while one of her hands snaked its way through his hair.
"Elijah left to run some errands for your birthday tomorrow," she continued, as he felt her lips inch their way closer to the flesh of his neck.
"...and I think Kol went with him," she finished.
His eyes fell closed as he anticipated the feeling of her warm lips just under his ear.
"Hey," she snapped, immediately ceasing her role as his temptress.
He groaned inwardly as all her ministrations stopped.
"Is that an online grade book?" she asked curiously, obviously eyeing the contents on his computer screen.
"Yes," he replied, hoping she sensed the annoyed undertone in his voice.
She inhaled with intent curiosity as she shimmied her way in between him and the desk.
"I wanna see," she mused.
He was ready to protest until he fully took in the sight of her partially bent over in front of him as she examined the program on the computer.
"Are these grades from earlier in the term; from Alaric and the other supplies?" she inquired interestedly.
Swallowing hard, he cleared his throat.
"They are," he answered, as he pushed his chair a little closer to her.
She scoffed.
"There is no way Jennifer Hastings deserves straight As," she complained. "Her enthusiasm for history class only started...y-esterday," she hissed, faltering on the last word slightly as he touched the outside of her thigh.
He waited for her to stop him, but as she continued her concentration on the screen, he took that as her tacit approval.
"You almost sound jealous, Miss Forbes," he pointed out as he placed his free hand on her other leg.
The muscles in both her legs tensed at his touch.
"I am not," she protested shakily as both his hands ascended to the hem of her skirt.
As he pushed the skirt a little higher with the backs of his hands, he was very pleased to spot evidence of her desire glistening on the insides of her thighs.
"I think you are," he teased as he began to lift the skimpy covering over her perfectly shaped behind.
"I am n..." –
- "You really have nothing to be jealous of sweetheart," he assured her.
Her breathing hitched as he fully exposed her bare backside and cupped the flesh of her ass in his hands.
She had followed his instructions perfectly, he mused, noting the rosy flesh of her dripping centre peeking out from between her folds.
He had barely uttered a dirty word or offered her his touch and already she was soaked for him.
His body was no different. He had been hard for her since she stepped into the room.
As he kissed the back of her thigh, he circled around her sex teasingly with his index finger.
"She could never keep up with me, or sate me the way you can," he told her, now standing up behind her.
He ran his free hand over her hip and along her side until he reached the bare skin of her back, exposed by the halter top of her uniform.
"What would you do if I changed my grades?" she asked playfully as her body shuddered against his tormenting touch.
"I'd be forced to punish you," he mused against her ear as he watched her highlight her name and information on the screen, changing out some of her less than flattering grades.
"How?" she challenged breathily as she arched her back seductively.
He brought the flat of palm down hard against her backside, triggering a loud crack, and she cried out from what could only be described as the ideal mix of torture and ecstasy.
Hitting her anywhere else was never something he would consider, but he prided himself in his ability to respond to her body language. He sensed she wanted to be spanked, so he gave her what she wanted.
He lightly traced his fingertips over the redness from the hit, soothing any pain with the tingling sensation his touch brought.
She whimpered gratefully as he kissed her back.
"Would you punish Jennifer?" she asked with a little vinegar in her voice.
He smirked.
"No...I'd kill her," he mused, before nipping at her ear lobe and tugging at her silky blonde hair.
She slammed the lid of the computer shut and braced herself against the desk with both palms.
He lowered his hand between her legs and skimmed her slit tauntingly. His other hand travelled over her stomach and inside her top.
"So Miss. Forbes," he started, cupping her breast, "Would you like to earn those participation grades now?" he teased before leaning over to kiss her neck.
Dipping two fingers into her pool of arousal, she moaned most eagerly.
"Hmm?" he pushed, as he circled his moist fingers around her swollen bud while his other hand pinched both her nipples.
"I thought you said no quid pro quo?" she huffed.
He thrust two fingers inside of her tight hole.
She gasped as her hips bucked against his hand.
"Think of this as extra credit," he proposed.
Moaning incoherently at his words, she stood up a little straighter and removed her shirt, freeing her breasts from the confining material.
When her hands reached behind her and latched onto his belt, he backed up.
"Klaus," she complained as she rubbed herself frantically against his hand. "Please," she begged.
"Please what?" he asked, leaning in to kiss her shoulder.
She craned her neck in time and kissed his lips hard.
The kiss made him dizzy as she took his breath away.
"Fuck me," she whispered against his lips. "I need you to fuck me," she repeated.
Her words nearly caused his premature finish, but he bit his lip as a distraction.
"Bend over, sweetheart," he instructed tenderly, although he knew he was about to be anything but delicate with her; not after today.
She obliged him eagerly, positioning herself over the desk, propping herself up on her forearms.
"Good girl," he said encouragingly as he unbuckled his belt and dropped his pants, freeing his aching erection.
As he stroked himself behind her and steadied her hips, he struggled to conjure up an image more alluring than this. He couldn't.
She was poised for submission and he paused to admire her narrow waist, wide hips, and the pronounced arch of her back. She was perfection incarnate and only he had the privilege of indulging in her.
He spread her quivering thighs, positioning himself at her entrance before filling her with one deep thrust.
She recoiled and hissed at his initial intrusion, and he clenched her hips to prevent himself from slamming back into her a second time so soon.
Easing out of her slowly, he entered her again a little faster.
Her warm centre took him in readily and he groaned loudly at the feel of her walls hugging him so tightly.
"Mmm, yes," she panted. "Take me harder," she urged through muffled whimpers and sighs.
He gasped at her licentious request and sped up his movements accordingly.
With one hand firmly planted against her hip, he used the other to massage her breasts, and then her sensitive clit.
"God, you feel incredible," he murmured as he tried, with rapidly failing effectiveness, to not lose himself in the sparks jolting through his body.
Unable to hold herself up any longer, her arms buckled beneath her.
She grabbed hold of the edge of the desk as her torso lay flush against its surface.
He brushed her hair away from her face as he continued his pace behind her.
Her eyes were clenched shut and her mouth was parted as she panted frantically for air.
He himself was struggling to breathe as sweat spread across his forehead and his entire body began to tremble.
She was completely tense beneath him and he knew her climax was not far off.
He thrust harder against her, his body slapping against her backside as her verbal sounds of appreciation grew.
"Let go, sweetheart," he urged, for both their sakes as his yearning for his own release intensified.
He watched as her fingernails dug desperately into the desk, and while he would have scolded anyone else for marking such an antique, he knew he would come to appreciate the reminder of this moment later.
Her fervent scream of bliss startled him as her body shook and the force of her orgasm consumed him.
He moaned through gritted teeth, as the feeling of her body's natural spasms milking him provoked his own euphoric release.
Resting his head against her back, he could hear nothing save for his own animalistic breathing and the lingering murmurs of her pleasure.
"Oh my god," she sighed contentedly as he trailed his lips and hands over her back.
Standing, he moved back and pulled up his pants that been resting at his ankles. He had never even bothered to step out of them.
Caroline rose from the desk, and pulled her skirt back down that had been bunched at her waist.
How was it that this inexperienced baby vampire had become the most exquisite lover he had ever had, he wondered as she turned around to meet his stare.
"That deserves an 'A' for amazing," she hummed jokingly, sitting on the edge of his desk.
He smirked as she pulled him closer.
Resting in between her legs, he revelled in the feeling of her lips against his neck and the berry scent of her perfume.
"It was all you, love," he mused.
She pulled back and held up his fake glasses.
"Can you wear these next time?" she asked.
He laughed as he eyed her quizzically.
"I guess I have a thing for nerds," she quipped.
"Apparently I have a thing for cheerleaders," he replied.
She blushed.
He kissed her.
"And as sexy as you looked in this shirt today," she complimented as she started to undo the buttons, "I think I want to borrow it," she concluded mirthfully.
He feigned protest as she pulled the shirt down his arms and slipped into it herself.
Just as he contemplated the idea of ravishing her a second time with another kiss of her lips, the doorbell rang.
They both sighed in unison.
"Let Rebekah answer it," Caroline groaned. "It's probably Matt."
They both listened for a moment before the bell rang again.
"She won't answer it," he complained. "I'll see who it is," he decided, heading for the doors.
He urged her to stay behind, given her state of dress, but she still followed him, waiting in the hall interestedly as he entered the foyer for the front doors.
Sensing a vampire on the other side of the doors, he was surprised by who he saw when he opened them.
"Stefan," he greeted curiously.
A/N: So I know after what you just read your minds are probably in the gutter, but no, there's not going to be a Klefaroline threesome, even though this would probably be the perfect moment for it. As much as I do enjoy that triad? It's just not meant to happen in this story, lol. Maybe a deleted blooper scene? Heh.
I know it was a long update, but before you all rush off to take your cold showers, do you think you could review me maybe? Thanks. Next stop is 700 reviews! :D