Klaus smiled watching her feet as she danced by herself her hand holding the ends of the long blush pink dress his sister had made her wear.
He thought back to the wedding, when he saw her stride down the aisle it was as he had always pictured it surrounded by the people they loved.
When she walked past him his hopes once again dashed as he recalled this wasn't their wedding day like the one they had planned so long ago.
His mouth bore a bitter smile at the thought as he down the rest of the bottle Stefan had gifted him for the evening as he decided to retire to his room.
He left the warm night air in favor of his study on the first floor as he stormed off he was too lost in what could have been to hear her following him.
"Could we talk for a minute," she asked trying to keep her wits about her as she confronted her biggest regret and fear, him.
"Caroline," he said surprised to see her, the look evident over his face in the darkened home she had once thought she would live in forever.
"The one and only," she quipped with grin that didn't meet her eyes something he would know in any light tonight wasn't any different.
"Without a doubt," he said grimly as he sipped straight from the bottle uncaring at the moment he'd put on a bright face all weekend tonight he just wanted to be himself.
"What's that mean," she asked quietly as she stepped forward and he reached for the door moving to close it in front of him in an effort to keep her out.
Klaus let the rest of his mask fall sadness filling the lines she had earlier thought were ones from laughing she could hit herself for thinking so because this was Klaus.
"Could we talk later," he asked his eyes begging her when he spoke she smiled softly over at him nodding as he shut the door dividing them both.
She slunk her way upstairs knowing she had deserved that but was still an unwilling participant both had sat through a rather long reception.
She grew tired after the first hour when the dances commenced receiving knowing glances from people who shouldn't matter as she politely declined whoever asked.
She growled when Klaus danced with every member of the wedding party in a dress but her but she didn't let it stop her from dancing on her own.
Now though as she prepared to remove her makeup and tied her hair back she didn't pretend to be happy about every decision she had made in the last few years.
On her way down the aisle she found her way back to him admitting defeat to the feelings that had been circulating inside from the moment she met him.
Standing she slinked to her bed removing the dress and letting it pool at her feet before she climbed into bed and tried to think of a better day.
The next morning Klaus woke in his study with a strained neck silence filling his ears reminding him that now he was truly alone.
Rebekah and Stefan would have left already and while the remains of the party where still left there was only one thing he was left to deal with, Caroline.
He stood ignoring the aching of his skull as he undid the rest of his tie unbuttoning the front of his wrinkled shirt as he reached the door and stepped out.
He winced at the light of day before he set his mind on a shower followed by loads of coffee he promised himself as he made his way up the stairs at a snail's pace.
The altitude toyed with him as he went Klaus almost deciding to just roll back down when he saw his room door just passing the guest floor.
Disregarding the feeling he got when he moved past her door he undid his belt and slipped out of his shoes deciding he would get to them later.
She heard a thump above her and realized it was just Klaus, she rose sitting up as the thought hit her, they were alone in this house Rebekah had mentioned it.
Caroline knew it but had negated it and now she was here she almost cursed as she heard the water shut off as she dove for her pajamas.
She quickly ran into the bathroom warming the water as she brushed her teeth in a flurry before jumping into the shower.
A few minutes later after washing the night away she toweled herself dry whilst trying not to think about it he was naked or dressed or coming down the stairs.
She pulled on her sleep shorts and top before grabbing a bigger sweater to cover the fact that she wore nothing else before she quietly opened her door listening for him.
When Caroline heard nothing she smiled to herself as she opened and shut her door slipping down the stairs carefully stepping over the one stair that he always meant to fix but never got to.
She switched on the coffee maker before he could complain about wanting tea like a civilized human being before she scoped out his refrigerator.
Finding nothing she settled for finding a mug she smiled when she found her old blue one in the back of the cabinet before she set it on the counter and served herself.
"Could I have one of those," he said as he walked in looking like he needed it more than her she nodded as she reached for another mug pouring him one as he came closer.
Klaus muttered a thank you as he drank it the liquid like velvet in his throat as he did, "Body tired from drinking or dancing with everyone but me," she asked unable to bite her tongue.
Klaus stilled placing his mug on the table, "I didn't want to dance with you in front of them all," he said getting to the point of the matter.
Caroline tried not to be cross as she spoke, "That was evident. What isn't is why," she said quietly her stomach turning to water and oil like a tacky science experiment.
"Because I love you and I foolishly thought that the first time we would dance at a wedding it would be ours," he said flooring her with his admission.
"I thought that too," she replied moving into his space, "I love you too, still," she promised setting her mug aside another obstacle falling away.
"I can't do this again, you're leaving," he said even as his hand brushed her face making her shut her eyes at the welcome feeling that blossomed in her chest.
"I'm here," she said her hand seeking his taking it in her own, "I can come back but I have to know that there's still a home I can come back to."
Klaus pressed his head to hers, "I'll be your home when you have no regrets," he whispered, "You left for a reason and you're not done yet."
"I left to see if there was more to the world and you stayed because this was your world," Caroline sighed hugging herself to him.
"No," he smiled, "I stayed because my world is with you, every post card you sent, how excited you sounded when you wrote. That's how you made me feel with just a look."
"You got them all," she asked breathlessly thinking for so long that they hadn't arrived or that he had tossed them without a second glance.
"It's my fault to," he said his words caressing her skin, "I should have gone after you, I could have written you back but what I did was stay here."
"I just thought that when you finally left this town you would take me with you," he replied knowing that wasn't the case.
"I wanted to," she said remorsefully remembering the first letter she left him that he undoubtedly found after she was already on a plane somewhere else.
"I just didn't want you to look up at me one day and hate that I dragged you everywhere only to settle in back home," she whispered softly.
"I don't understand," Klaus said looking deeply into her eyes his hand stroking her wet curls as he held her against him.
"I…I saw the northern lights," she said watching his frown form once more, "I saw them and all I could think about is how cantankerous you'd be if we saw them together and I smiled."
"I spent the whole time thinking about how you would react," she explained, "This whole time, all I wanted was for you to be there with me."
"The point I'm trying to make and not well is that I want to stay," she said realizing she was rambling, "I want to be here with you, and I want to come home to you."
"You already have," he murmured pressing an impassioned kiss to her lips not needing to hear anything other than she was home and still loved him.