Disclaimer: I don't own Vampire Diaries

Lessons of Love, Chapter 20: Caroline to Klaus, Part 10

"Teenagers. Everything is so apocalyptic." Kami Garcia

The soft sound of the waves hitting the shore, the rustling of the drapes in the breeze that the open balcony doors let in woke her up. Caroline opened her eyes slowly as she exhaled

She was cuddled against Klaus' side, their legs tangled together under the sheets. One of her arms was resting on his chest, her cheek on his shoulder and his arm underneath her neck. His head was turned towards her, mouth slightly opened as he breathed in an even rhythm. Klaus' free arm was resting across his torso, his fingers limp and his dirty blonde curls an unruly mixture of bed head and sex hair.

She smiled at how peaceful and young he looked in sleep as she slowly repositioned herself so that her head was on his chest, hand now resting over his heart. Caroline snuggled even closer as she felt his arm drape around her middle, pulling her closer in his embrace if that was even possible. Klaus' uncharacteristic breathing was still even and Caroline relaxed into his body, staring out the open doors to where she could see the morning sun making the crystal water sparkle. She nearly dozed back off to the feel of the light breeze on her bare skin and the beating of Klaus' heart beneath her knuckles.

She had no idea how long she lay there in complete bliss when Klaus started fidgeting beneath her, becoming restless in his sleep as his heart rate increased, warning her that he was waking up. She smiled as she felt his fingers trail up and down her back and his lips on the top of her head.

"Morning, sleepy head," she said after a few minutes, he smiled against her hair.

"How long have you been awake?"

"I dunno. Longer than you."

"Why didn't you wake me?"

Caroline looked up at him, "And ruin the moment? I don't think so, mister," she said, giggling as he smiled down at her. She settled back into his side, using his chest as a pillow, as she watched the light dance across the water on the horizon.

Klaus continued to mindlessly stroke her back, his eyes wandering along the bare skin of her lithe body as she lay beside him. The sight of her beside him was much more beautiful to him than the scenery outside. She was so relaxed that Klaus began to think she had drifted back to sleep until she sighed.

"Nik?"

"Hhmm?"

"What time did you say our flight was?"

He smiled again, "Two thirty-five. Why? Have you decided that we can stay here…alone?" She didn't have to be looking at him to know that his smile had turned into a smirk and Caroline rolled her eyes.

"No, but the clock says its nearly eleven fifteen."

"If that doesn't…what did you say? Ruin the mood?" Caroline nodded against his chest, a smile pulling at her lips. "Well, if that doesn't ruin the mood, then I don't know what does, sweetheart."

"Seriously, though," she said with a groan that sounded more like a growl as she sat up, stretched and, begrudgingly, got out of bed. Caroline rolled her eyes as she felt him watching her.

"You're beautiful," Klaus said as he sat up and rested against the headboard, smirking at her.

Caroline turned halfway around and gave him a pointed look. "We have a flight and you need a shower. I'm not going anywhere with you while your hair looks like that."

Klaus laughed as Caroline threw a towel at him.

Klaus' brow creased as he focused on the canvas before him, his paintbrush moving along the space absently. He really had no idea what he was painting, he just felt the need to paint. He didn't think anything of the footsteps that walked up the stairs and made their way into his studio. Rebekah must be home from what ever she did with the rest of the Mystic Falls High students these days. The thought of his little sister acting like an idiotic teen made him sick.

"What's that supposed to be?" Caroline asked as she sat down with a huff behind his desk.

"Well, well, well, look who decided to show her pretty face," he said, not turning around to greet her. "Where have you been lately, love?" They had not seen each other since Klaus brought her home when they arrived back in Virginia three days ago.

"Oh my gosh, if you only knew. No one else in this town can handle drama."

"Drama?" he asked, finally turning to look at Caroline with a concerned expression.

"Uh, yeah. Big time."

"What happened?"

"Oh, nothing supernatural. Well…not exactly normal supernatural stuff. I mean…your sister was involved but it wasn't like the third immortal World War broke out or anything. It's high school stuff."

Klaus scoffed and turned back to his painting.

"Seriously! It's not cool, Nik. Apparently Matt and Rebekah are dating? Did you know that?"

"No. I don't govern Rebekah's social life."

"Ugh, okay, well they apparently got into a fight the day we left and Matt 'dumped'" Caroline put air quotes around the word, "Rebekah because she was being ridiculous about God only knows what. And then, according to Elena and Bonnie, she left the swimming hole with Jeremy and they apparently hooked up?"

"Caroline."

"I don't know, that's just what I heard. But it totally makes sense because every since he and Bonnie broke up, Jeremy's been sort of desperate but Elena's pissed 'cause Rebekah was just playing with Jeremy in order to get Matt back, which is just awkward. Am I the only one that thinks Jeremy is kinda awkward?

"But I talked to Matt because Elena and Bonnie have taken Jeremy's side and won't talk to Matt so of course I have to, especially since you and me are together and the source of the problem is your sister so apparently that means she and I are best friends? I definitely don't remember signing up for that. Anyways, I talked to him today and he said he was totally over it and as soon as Rebekah would stop blowing things out of proportion, he was more than willing to get back together with her. He was like, 'I never even dumped her, I just told her that I didn't want to argue and apparently that me-'"

"Caroline."

"What? I'm not done yet, hang on. Apparently Rebekah thought that meant that they were over. But I had to get to the bottom of it before everyone takes a side and there's a civil war in Mystic Falls and I just want everyone to be normal and happy before we all leave for college. So, thankfully, I got it figured out and Matt and Rebekah are 'talking it out' this afternoon but everyone knows that it'll just be like a huge 'I'm sorry' and then they'll hook up and poor Jeremy gets left out once again but Elena wants it that way. She doesn't want him involved with a vampire, which is super hypocritical of her, you know?" she paused, watching him work on the canvas.

"Are you done talking nonsense?"

"Did I mention that I swear vampires get jet lag? I couldn't get out of bed for like a day after we got back and all these people were texting me and calling me to tell me about everything that happened and all I wanted to do was sleep. Seriously, I go away for a few days and the entire town nearly explodes. They better figure out how to handle it by themselves because when August gets here, I'm out."

Klaus turned to look at her. "Are you done?"

Caroline smiled sweetly at him. "What are you doing later?"

"What now?" he asked.

"Well every one's having dinner at the Grill later and I told them I would go but that's before I knew it was turning into a boyfriend, girlfriend kind of thing but I totally should have realized that because all of my friends date each other. Whoa, that came out so wrong," she laughed. "Sooo, will you come?"

"No," Klaus said with an exasperated chuckle.

"Oh come on! Don't be such a recluse! You need a life."

"I think you missed the part where your friends hate me, sweetheart."

"Because the only you they know is the angsty dick who hates everyone and stays in his mansion all day scheming when you really just play on this whole 'tortured soul' thing. Seriously, what are you painting? I can't figure it out," she said, pausing to study the canvas behind him. "Nik, please come."

"No. Apparently, I have a reputation to keep. And I refuse to sit with a bunch of teenagers if all your going to talk about is how the world almost ended because my sister slept with the latest doppelganger's younger brother."

"Well I have a reputation, too. So, you should come and you can…just sit at the bar! I'm sure Damon will be there. Maybe you guys can make up all the lost love between you and become best drinking buddies! And then we can go on double dates with him and Elena and it wouldn't be awkward. Please?"

"I cannot stand the thought of Damon Salvatore."

Caroline crossed her arms over her chest and pouted. "Fine, have it your way. Be boring."

Klaus flicked his paintbrush at her with a smirk

Caroline's mouth fell open as drops of paint landed on her. "What was that for! Fling it at your canvas…it'll probably help whatever your doing, anyways. I still can't figure it out."

"Neither can I because your incessant babbling is quite the distraction, sweetheart. I needed a way to shut your pretty mouth."

"That's not what you would have said the other night." Caroline was in front of him in an instant. "Did I tell you that I missed you?" she asked, cupping his face in her hands and smiling up at him.

Klaus smirked and cocked an eyebrow. "I must have missed it in the midst of all your chatter about unimportant high school happenings, love."

"Well it's not my fault you're some thousand-year-old guy dating an eighteen-year-old girl," she said pursing her lips. "Geez, what a sugar daddy. And speaking of dating, you have to come tonight. You don't have to sit with us, you can sit at the bar and do what you do best. Just walk in with me, that's all I want. Please, Nikkk," she begged, pulling a puppy face.

"Or what? Your little world will come crashing down around you? Besides, I don't remember ever agreeing that we were 'dating,'" he said, pouting down at her in a mocking way, desperately fighting the smirk that was pulling his lips as he stroked her cheek with his thumb, trying to erase her scowl.

"Oh, come on. I might be from the twenty-first century but even I know that there was never, ever any sex involved in courting. And now you're just being mean and you should make it up to me by coming. You can bring Kol for all I care."

Klaus laughed and shook his head. "I think that you're the only being on the planet that's more manipulative than I am, sweetheart."

"I'll take that as a complement if it's a yes," Caroline responded in a singsong voice as a one of her breath taking smiles played on her lips and her eyes studied him in playful curiosity. With a resigned sigh, Klaus knew he had lost.

Caroline smiled triumphantly up at him as she reached behind him and grabbed the paintbrush. Not missing a beat, Klaus grabbed her wrist before she could start a paint war. Despite himself, he laughed at her teenage antics before placing a kiss on her forehead.

A smile was plastered to Caroline's face as she climbed into the passenger seat of Klaus' SUV later that night. "Okay, you have to admit, that wasn't so bad," she said, looking at Klaus as he put the key in the ignition.

Klaus didn't respond as he pulled out of the Mystic Grill's parking lot.

"Oh, come on, Nik! You enjoyed yourself, admit it. Kol isn't afraid to. Are you?" she said, turning to look at the youngest Mikaelson brother in the backseat.

"Only because there was alcohol involved," he drawled.

"That's better than nothing," Caroline said with an eye roll. Clearly, she wasn't going to win this one, even though she knew that Klaus had enjoyed himself…at the bar, but still, it was better than nothing.

Silence reigned in the car as Klaus drove to Caroline's house and Caroline answered text message after text message, both of them forgetting Kol's existence in the backseat. Klaus looked over at Caroline as he pulled over at her house to see another smile on her face. He resisted the urge to roll his eyes as she looked at him, a mischievous glint in her green-blue eyes. He waited for whatever she was going to say.

"Now that I know you can at least act civilized were going to start doing things that normal people our age do. Soon. So be ready," she said, giving him a pointed look. "You too," she turned to give Kol the same look. "Night, Nik," she said sweetly and leaned over to peck his lips before she hopped out of the car.

Klaus waited pointlessly to see her safely inside her house but his view was suddenly blocked as Kol slowly climbed over the console into the front seat, going to great lengths to make sure he bumped into his brother with every movement. Once seated, Kol put his feat up on the dash and turned the radio up, the obnoxious smirk on his face.

"Must you ruin the upholstery?" Klaus asked in exasperation.

"What? I'm doing normal teenage things. I thought you were into that kind of stuff now, brother," Kol retorted, smirk still in place.

Klaus growled in response and resisted the urge to reach over and bash his infuriating baby brother's head against the window in an effort to rid Kol's face of the enraging smirk.

He had never thought he would have lived to see the day that his strong will could be crumbled by a teenaged, baby vampire of all people.

A/N: Bahaha, she has him wrapped around her little finger ;) but I don't really think that Klaus is complaining...he hasn't said anything to me about wanting to cause mayhem lately so I guess I can let them live happily for a little while longer. Butttt, I've selfishly decided that I don't like writing them happy because everything I write down just seems so awkward and I don't like it...but I'm going to keep it up for at least a couple more chapters because they deserve it...and I've already got like the next three chapters planned out in my head, haha.

I really just wanted to show Caroline's youth in this chapter and that, while she's a vampire and about to go to college, she's still a teenager. But, despite all of that, Klaus still (...ahh I don't wanna say it because he hasn't said it yet but here I go...) loves her. The only song that vaguely influenced this is "Across the Universe" by The Beatles...but only vaguely. And, yes, this chapter is a set up of sorts for my crack-fic 'Movie Night' which, if you read that, I can confirm that I finally have a sequel in the works;)

Well, as always, thanks for reading and if you have a minute, don't be afraid to review:)