So I am very embarrassed right now. VERY EMBARRASSED.
I meant to place up the first chapter of the ball and instead I did a very stupid thing and updated the wrong chapter. SO if you please, reread the new chapter 3, which is correct, and see this one, which was meant to be here rather than at chapter 3, and THEN please review and I'll be able to use your well rounded criticism for my silliness.
And props to the reviewer patie who unintentionally informed me of my silliness. xx
Caroline stuffed her curls into a bun and settled the apron on her body before measuring out flour. She probably looked every inch the perfect little housewife, though she severely doubted any housewife was also a perfect little vampire as well. But she enjoyed the calming process of baking. It was so human. She smiled a little to herself before turning to grab an egg from the fridge.
"Never thought you'd be one to try to be a Martha Stewart." A familiar accent sounded, and she dropped the egg in shock. She caught it before it made a mess on the floor and stood to glare at the new arrival in the kitchen.
"And I never thought you'd resort to stalking. Though I guess I shouldn't be surprised."
"Very funny, love." Klaus quirked his lips and sat at the counter to watch her work.
Caroline was not amused. "What do you want?" She said bluntly, knowing he never came without a set goal in mind.
"The pleasure of your company, nothing more."
Caroline remained paused, watching him, and he watched her stay in the same rooted positing for a few minutes, letting her stubbornness wear thin before she sighed and continued her work. She sifted the dry ingredients and used the distraction as an excuse to keep her eyes down and away from him as she said what she needed to say.
"I got your drawing…"
"Yes?" He said, halfway between gloating and nerves as to how she would react.
"…and while I don't appreciate you breaking into my house, cause that's just plain creepy." She grumbled under her breath slightly before continuing. "Thank you. It's nice."
Klaus wanted to chuckle at her reaction, but he held it in for her sake. "You're very welcome. I enjoyed drawing the subject."
Caroline could not think of a good sarcastic retort, and so they stayed in a companionable silence for some time as she worked.
"Why all of this cooking fuss anyway?" Klaus asked, genuinely perplexed. "Surely you aren't…hungry."
She suppressed a shiver at the sexy and predatory way he said the word, rolling the r in a growl that no American could pull off. She busied herself by whisking the eggs at a normal speed, which required more concentration and grounded her. Vampire speed and cooking did not mix, pun intended.
"For the record, I like at least trying to retain my humanity. And it sooths me." She smiled down at the mixing bowl, remembering the old days baking with her mom and grandma, with Elena and Bonnie, when the treat at the end would satisfy her need. Now there was something more that she craved for. Still, it didn't stop her from enjoying it.
Caroline glanced back up to Klaus; embarrassed by the attention he was paying her. "What?"
"You're so…human." He admitted, and she rolled her eyes, waiting for some form of insult to follow. She felt pleased at the comparison, since she did miss being 'normal' as she dubbed it, but she knew he wouldn't feel the same.
"Its refreshing." He continued.
She was pleasantly surprised, and knew she'd have to push it back to him being evil.
"Compared to what, your monstrous habits? I'm sure."
Klaus tensed slightly in his casual stance on the chair. "Let me explain something to you, little one. When you have eternity, when all life passes by and loses its meaning, you have nothing left but to search for a goal, for a purpose. That's what I'm doing."
Caroline was floored by his honesty, breaking the mood by returning to reality with a shrug.
"You should have taken up baking instead. Much more rewarding."
To her relief, he chuckled, and the mood lifted.
She turned to grab a tray from the draw and returned to catch him dipping his finger into the bowl.
"Hey!"
"I was curious, wanted to see what all your fuss was about." He countered, licking the mixture off his finger. Caroline watched his red mouth, no doubt stained that appealing colour from several lifetimes of blood, and how it moved around his finger. She hadn't realized that hers had parted in response till she caught him gazing at her mouth. Caroline recognised the hunger in his eyes, something that was always a slightly more predatory take on lust when you were a vampire, and her stomach dropped. Caroline cleared her throat, trying to return to some form of normalcy.
"And the verdict?"
Klaus looked up to meet her eyes, seeming like he was about to respond to the verdict of something other than her cooking, but he caught himself.
"Good. Nothing compared to blood."
She grimaced, spooning the mixture into the muffin cups and placing the first batch in the oven, setting the timer. She turned again to find him in the exact same position with a hand in the mixing bowl, and hit him with the spatula before she could stop herself.
He grinned up at her cheekily rather than responding in anger, and she feigned annoyance in return.
"If its so bad compared to blood, then why go for seconds?"
He moved it towards his mouth again and her eyes avidly followed, not realizing she had been caught staring till his hand paused right by his mouth. Caroline looked up to his eyes and knew he'd seen her look. He held her gaze, drawing closer to her, and gestured to his batter-covered finger.
"I'd most likely be presumptuous in asking this, but would you like a taste?"
She looked up at him with his small cheeky smirk, amusement and uncertainty dancing in his eyes, and she was unsure as to how she should respond to this very teasing, very normal side of him.
Klaus tried another tactic with a smile. "Perhaps something stronger." He said, licking away the batter and biting the tip, breaking the skin.
Caroline couldn't help it, she hadn't had a drink for a while, and the memory of his blood was so strong, just the scent was enough for her fangs to elongate.
He studied her as she was torn between what she believed was right and what she believed was crossing a line, and he stepped closer still so his blood was within reach.
"Come on, love, have at it." He encouraged, and she needed no more invitation. Keeping her eyes locked on his, she held his arm and latched onto his finger, drawing blood ever so slightly from the wound. Klaus breathed out at the feeling, she was one of the very few that he had offered drink from him, and one of an even smaller amount that had done so more than once, and she lifted her mouth, licking the blood from her lips. On a whim, she let her hand linger around his forearm, inclining her wrist towards him, a half invitation for the returned favor. He watched her, cautious for a change, and raised her wrist slowly to his mouth. She watched him, transfixed. He surprised her. Instead of biting her, as they both knew there was no harm in him doing with his blood still in her system, he pressed a feather light kiss to her inner wrist, making her catch her breath. He moved to her palm, pressing another kiss just as softly. Watching her carefully now, he let his fangs go and bit into her open palm, fighting to control himself as she ever so softly moaned. Rather than drawing more blood from her, he released her palm, licking the wound softly, kissing it again, before pulling his mouth away. He watched her face, waiting for the hissing, spitting wildcat to break free from her.
He was wrong again.
She drew closer, backing him up against the wall, eyes fixed on his parted lips. Klaus surveyed her face, looking for some sort of acceptance for him to move to kiss her. He leaned in slowly, nearly brushing her lips, but she blinked and turned her head so his lips were poised above her cheek. Rather than be offended, he showed some rare understanding. Caroline could not be pushed here, in this especially. It was a balance between right and wrong, loyalty and attraction. So Klaus was just tempt her further, till she knew what her choice would be. Klaus brushed his lips teasingly along her cheekbone, planting little kisses across her eyebrow and forehead. He reached her other cheek, dipping down to press his lips against the sensitive skin next to her earlobe, reveling in her elevated breathing and how she stepped ever closer to him, latching on to his shoulder and arm like an anchor. He gently drew his nose back along the soft skin of her cheek, letting their skin touch agonizingly slowly. Finally, he drew back to see her face again. Caroline's eyes fluttered open, and she watched him with her large sky blue eyes, waiting to see his next move. Klaus ducked his head close again, going in for a kiss once more, and her eyes closed in response. Her head didn't move away this time, but he realized that he didn't want to pressure or seduce her into this. He wanted her to give him her kiss, no pressure or deals included. He paused for a moment, an inch away from her mouth, their breaths mingling heatedly, electricity passing between them. Klaus tipped his head slightly, pressing a kiss to the very corner of her expectant mouth and drawing back. Caroline stayed there with her eyes closed for another beat before opening them to look up at him, confused. Klaus drew in a breath to explain, and thought the better of it.
"Your timer's about to go off." He said, and she lifted her eyebrows.
"Excuse me?" She asked, just as the egg timer went off, signaling the muffins completion. She backed away with a twinge of regret and fetched oven mitts, shutting off the timer before taking out the muffins.
"How did you – "
"I'm an Original, Caroline. I have an infinite perception of time." Klaus teased, not wanting to admit that it had been a complete fluke accident just to avoid not saying why he hadn't kissed her. He watched her from his stance by the wall as she went about putting in another batch and setting the first lot on a cooling rack. He could tell her mind had been churning over something by the way she stilled after her activity, her back to him where she stood by the sink.
"What are you trying to do here, Klaus?" She asked, fists clenched where they rested on the countertop. "I'm trying to make sense of everything, and I'm failing."
"I enjoy you. What more do you need to know, love?" He kept his cards close, not wanting her to see through him like last night.
It was his mistake.
Caroline turned to face him, eyes searching. "What more? I need to understand. I need to know what you expect me to do here. Do you think that hiding behind some nice guy persona is just going to make it all better? That if you charm and seduce me I'm going to forget that you've killed all those people and ruined the lives of the people I care about the most?"
Klaus kept his face blank, and it fed her anger. She had left herself open and vulnerable, eyes closed in his embrace, waiting for his kiss, and he had backed off like it was all just a game to him.
"You can fling out all the lines, shower me with every thoughtless gift, pretend to be the good guy all you want. But I know its all fake. And I wont fall for it. I'll just see you as the big bad wolf, forever."
Klaus reigned in the overactive werewolf emotions coiling inside him.
"Forever is a long time, Caroline." He grated out. "Don't think I'll give up that easily."
"I wish you would." She flung bitterly at him, and he flashed over to her, trapping her between his arms at the sink. Their bodies were so close, not touching, but thrumming with energy at being mere inches away from each other. She inhaled sharply, and he smirked down at her.
"Be careful what you wish for, sweetheart." He murmured darkly in the shell of her ear. Before she could remember herself and come back with a witty retort, he was gone, too fast for even her to see.
She hated him. It was like seeing two people trapped in the same body at the same time. She would have been happier if he just remained the same jackass bad guy all the time rather than trying to woo her with his sweet side. Cause he gave good woo. And she didn't want to break to that, because she could already feel the fractures in her resolve.
But no. She hated him. He had ruined all their lives and continued to do so. He was dangerous. Murderous. She would dance happily on his grave…somehow.
Her phone buzzed, and she checked the text from Elena.
New plan. Come over to mine and us girls will figure out what we can do? Damon's been a dick again. E xxx
Of course Damon had done something else.
A knock sounded at her door, bringing her out of her thoughts.
"Yeah? It's open." She called. No one too dangerous was invited into the house, and she was a big bad vampire now. Besides, the one biggest threat in town had just left, and he wouldn't have had the courtesy to knock first.
Damon walked in to see her setting the third tray in the oven.
"Aw, honey, you baked."
"Its not that rare, Damon." She rolled her eyes, wiping her hands and setting them on her hips. "What's up? I don't usually get house calls."
"I was in the neighbourhood, thought I'd say hello."
She rolled her eyes, and he scoffed.
"Alright, Stefans being a tool. I had to get out of there before I throttled him or something. But that's beside the point. How would you feel about another plan?" "Depends on the goal."
"Kill Klaus. The usual plan. What else would you expect?"
Caroline gritted her teeth at the fresh memory of the Original. "I'm in. What am I meant to do?"
"Distract him. Seduce him."
She seethed, her eyes flashing red and her veins darkening in absolute rage. "Never."
"Calm down, Blondie, I didn't say sleep with him." Damon tutted, folding his arms.
"Its still just as repulsive." Caroline huffed, trying to calm herself.
"Why? Has something more happened between the two of you, apart from his freaky obsession?"
She recalled their embrace and heated words only moments ago in this very kitchen, the blood exchange, the drawing, the embrace and lustful words last night, the confessions, his passion for art…and it would seem, for her also.
"Nothing, really." She blanked, and Damon gave her his piercing look before his phone buzzed at him, probably Elena checking up on him. Again. He grimaced at the phone, making her wonder if something else was afoot. She sniffed.
"Urgh, really Damon?"
He widened his eyes at her. "What?"
"You smell like sex."
He flashed his self assured smile at her. "It's the scent I carry off the best."
Caroline inhaled again, finally placing the other scent. "And a certain designer perfume that I know is trademark for our favorite bloodslut." She gasped. "You slept with Rebekah?"
Damon glared at her. Clearly word was going to travel fast in their Scooby doo gang. "That's none of your business. Just distract Klaus. He'll be at the Grill tonight. Skank up a bit, you know how, get him out of the bar and keep him occupied for a while." He turned for the door, not wanting to linger so she could rampage on about his escapades. Caroline was more distracted by the plan to kill Klaus anyway.
"And then what happens after I keep him occupied?" Caroline enquired, curious.
"That's on a need to know basis. And you don't need to know." He smiled at her without warmth. "Just distract the hybrid somehow. Flash him a bit of skin and get him panting after you." He turned and headed for the door.
"Hey, what did you mean 'skank up'?" She growled, and he looked back over his shoulder as he opened the door.
"Oh, Vampire Barbie. You know what to do for your date with Hybrid Ken."
She snarled viciously at him and he laughed, shutting the door before she could find something large enough to throw at him.
Klaus' Morning will be the next update, and I warn you, it is slightly repetitious of this chapter, only I tried to write it from his perspective so we get a little bit more of what its going through our Original Hybrids head.
Review and I will see you tomorrow when I update! :)