Hey, everyone!
Yes, I'm alive.
I'm really sorry for not updating in so long but life kinda got in the way!
Also, I've actually had this chapter ready for a while, but I've had to edit it and fix it so that it was good enough to put up. I would never put up a half assed chapter because I don't think it's fair to you guys.
So enjoy!
It had been a month since Klaus had shown me his library. After that day, we seemed to have an unspoken agreement to have a better relationship.
We had a sort of routine set for everyday, and we hardly had to talk to understand what we wanted to say to each other. Not that we didn't talk, we actually talked a lot.
I told him about Elena and Katherine and Bonnie. I talked to him about Tyler and Matt and one time even about my father. I tried to get him to talk about his family but it always seemed to be a touchy subject.
And although he doesn't trust me enough to tell me about his past, he trusts me enough to leave me alone in the cabin.
He explained to me one night while we were getting ready for bed that he needed to feed every so often. I of course already knew that as a vampire he would need to have blood eventually.
But when he did leave he would only be gone for a couple of hours, hours which I would spend in the library reading or thinking.
I thought about my father- was he still alive? I had the same feeling I had had when he disappeared, the feeling that had told me he was alive, but this time I could not chase after him. I had made a promise to Klaus afterall.
But the lines were blurring; On the outside I always tried to remain indifferent and stick to the pretext that I was only there because of a promise. That facade was always forgotten as soon as he smiled. Each say he was more of a gentleman. We shared laughs and good moments, not to mention we were always together.
"Ugh!" I said out loud as I pushed myself off the bed.
I had woken up alone, something I hadn't had to face in over a month. Every morning I would wake up with Klaus by my side, and it was weird not having him there.
I knew it shouldn't have bothered me as much as it did, but having him leave without saying goodbye hurt. A little. All he had left was a note, explaining in his meticulous scripture that he had to leave earlier than expected because a storm was fast approaching and that he would try to return as soon as possible.
I walked to the kitchen barefoot, all the while combing through my unruly curly hair with my fingers. I stopped fussing with my hair to grab a slice of bread. When I turned to the parlor, I noticed that the curtains were still drawn, but when I opened them, I was met with a dark sky. It reminded me of the storm that had hit when I was journeying here. This one looked like it was going to last much longer.
I closed the curtain again and went to Klaus's library. He had started referring to it as my library because I spent most of my free time there, albeit usually with him.
I opened the curtains, which didn't really help to bring any light into the room. After lighting a few candles around the room, I picked up my book and turned to the page where I had left off, becoming absorbed in the book as I munched on the slice of bread.
After a couple of pages, I looked up and let my gaze drift to the curtain on the far side of the room, the urge to look behind it surfacing again.
The first time I had asked what was behind it, Klaus had all but pushed me out of the room. What kept me intrigued was not only the fact that I wasn't allowed to see what was behind it, but that Klaus seemed to be afraid of me finding out what was behind it.
Without really thinking about it I put my book down and walked over to the curtain. Every other time I had been in here I had wanted to do the same thing. But I was always with Klaus or he would come back from feeding right when I started for the curtain.
But as I reached out and touched the soft fabric of the curtain, the only thing I could hear was the howling wind outside. No doors opening, no boots coming down the hallway.
I was alone.
Without hesitating, I pulled aside the curtain.
What seemed to be a small room stood in front of me. Various paintings hung from the walls, some were propped up against the wall, but either way there were a lot.
The dim lighting from the library filtered in and caught the details of each painting. I stepped in and walked around, looking at the paintings that were on the walls. They were mostly landscape paintings- meadows, fields covered with snow, forests and lakes.
One of the paintings caught my eye- it was of the clearing from the point of view of the cabin's porch.
There was the lake where I would bathe and swim, the stump where we would cut logs and the trees that lined the clearing were identical.
When I looked to the corner of the painting, it was signed with an NM.
All the other paintings were signed NM as well.
I kept looking around, asking myself who the hell NM was. But the bigger question was why Klaus wanted to keep this from me?
I started stepping away from the paintings when I accidentally hit something behind me. I turned to see a couple of papers had fallen to the ground when I hit the side of a table that had been set in the center of the small room.
When I bent down to pick up the paper,s the light once again caught the details on the paper.
A girl. With long curly hair and sparkling eyes looked back at me. It took me a second to realize that the girl was in fact me.
I picked up another paper- me again. I stood and looked at the papers on the table. There were more of them- me sitting on the couch in the parlor, me smiling, me on Spade.
All of them were of me, and they were all utterly beautiful.
At the corner of each page were the letters "NM".
"NM?" I said out loud. Who could NM possibly be?
The only person that had been around to see me during the time that all these portraits had been made was Klaus. And he had said once that his real name was...
"What are you doing in here?" Klaus's voice boomed through the small room and I turned to see him standing next to the curtain. His clothes were dirty- as always- but this time there were tears and cuts on his chemise and pants.
"What happened to you?" I asked, momentarily forgetting where I was and what I was holding.
"You did not answer my question," He began, stepping forward slowly, the sound of his boots hitting the wooden floor echoed through the small space. "What are you doing here?" barked when he stopped on the other side of the table
"Who is NM?"
"That is not the answer I was looking for" He said in a low voice, looking at me like he had the say I found my father in the dungeon.
"Who is NM?" I repeated, looking him straight in the eyes and keeping my voice level.
"You have no business being in here!" He said, his voice raising as he leaned closer.
"Uh, yes I do-" I said, holding up the stack of papers with my face on them "If it's anyone's business it's mine."
"Get out" He said, keeping his voice even and cold.
"Excuse me?"
"I said get out!" He roared, slamming his fists down on the table and leaning in so close that he was only a few inches from my face.
"Not until you tell me who this is!" I yelled back, shaking the papers in my hand.
I was so close to his face that our noses were nearly touching, and in that lighting, I could barely notice it, but his features had changed.
His eyes had turned yellow and black, dark veins protruded from under them. His mouth was slightly open and I could see two sets of elongated canines.
I knew I should have been scared. Vampires' true faces only showed in the presence of blood or in times of strong emotions.
But again, my curiosity got the best of me and I just stood there , then I reached up and let my fingers touch the flesh near his eyes.
"No..." He said abruptly, pulling away from me and closing his eyes. He took a deep breath and soon the veins had disappeared, the fangs retracted. When he opened his yes, I was met with his own deep blue irises.
"Niklaus Mikaelson" He said.
"But," I said, looking around at all the artwork "That's your name".
"He didn't say anything and I looked down at the picture in my hand. It was me, sitting on one of the rocks by the lake. It had been a few days ago when Klaus had offered me to go for a swim, but I just sat and watched as he swam around the small lake. That is until he pulled me in and we spent the afternoon playing around in the water.
"You made all of these?" I said, surprised. He stayed quiet, looking kind of ashamed.
Silence filled the room as I tried to absorb the fact that Klaus, or Niklaus, could draw- and beautifully.
"Well, they are amazing" I said more to myself than to him, but with his hearing I might as well have been screaming it out to the world.
"Really?" He asked, looking at me as surprised as I was.
"Yes, I mean, why didn't you want me to see this?" I asked, pulling my eyebrows together.
"I thought you would be furious" He said as his signature smirk appeared.
"Why would I be furious? This is beautiful!"
"Well, I didn't know how you would feel about me drawing you"
"Why do you draw me?"
"I fancy you" He shrugged as the words came out of his mouth- quick and simple. My jaw went slack and I was left speechless.
"What? Is that so hard to believe?" He said, smiling his perfect smile. I knew my mouth was probably hanging open, but I couldn't help it. I looked at the drawing in my hand and before I could look up a strong arm slid around my waist.
"Sweetheart," Klaus's voice was low and sweet next to me. His other hand reached ip and pulled my chin up so that I was looking at him.
"You are beautiful, strong, full of light-" His eyes moved around my face before landing on my eyes "How could I not be attracted to you?" He said, his voice dropping to s whisper.
I searched his face, looking for any indication of a lie.
His eyes were sincere, his features were relaxed and all traces of a smile were gone. He was serious.
I stopped searching and my eyes landed on his lips. They looked soft and welcoming and I couldn't imagine them against mine. I looked back up at his eyes hoping to cover up my blatant staring, but he had obviously noticed.
He was looking down at me, his eyes hooded as his own gaze drifted to my lips. His hand trailed from my chin to my neck and I felt his fingers lace into my hair. Gently, he started pulling me closer to him.
All sorts of flags were popping up in my head. I struggled between pulling away and getting closer. But I didn't have to do anything- he was getting closer all by himself and all I could do was stand there. He hesitated for a second, his eyes looking up from my lips to my eyes. He seemed to be checking that I was okay with what he was about to do.
When I didn't make any effort to stop him, he leaned in closer, and he was only a breath away when the booming sound of thunder echoed through the cabin. I jerked away, dropping the papers simultaneously.
We were both frozen in our spots, now a few feet away from each other.
My eyes felt like they were going to pop out of their sockets- I had almost kissed Klaus! Or he had almost kissed me! Either way, we were going to kiss!
A storm of thoughts and emotions rushed through me and I tried to calm down. Through it all, I noticed the hurt and rejection that flashed through Klaus's eyes.
I tried to say something, but when I opened my mouth to speak, his once wounded gaze became stone cold. He put one hand up to stop me from talking and bent down to pick up the papers I had dropped. He threw them on the desk and stormed out of the room.
The sound of his boots echoed down the hallway, followed by the sound of a door being thrown open and slammed shut.
I let out a long breath and closed my eyes, suddenly feeling exhausted.
I spared one last glance at the drawings and paintings, closing the curtain and leaving the room behind.
I trudged to the bedroom and dropped down onto the mattress, not bothering to get under the covers.
The patter of raindrops against the window started up and got stronger with every passing second. The wind howled, lightning struck and thunder shook the Earth.
I lay in bed, looking up at the beams on the ceiling.
Warm moisture pricked at the sides of my eyes and soon, fresh hot tears were rolling down my cheeks.
I closed my eyes and tried to shake the frustration that had built up.
When I opened my eyes again, Klaus was at the door of the room.
"Klaus!" I said as I sat up, wiping away the tears.
He stayed quiet and didn't even move. The silence became overwhelming and I tried to come up with something to say.
"I-I'm sorry" I said, nothing else coming to mind.
"I didn't mean to push you away, I just-" He still didn't say anything.
"I just got frightened of the thunder and then I had no chance to explain" I said, trying to make the cold look in his eyes disappear.
"Klaus?" I said, getting up and walking to him but he made no movement to acknowledge me.
"Klaus, please-" I grabbed his hand and noticed that it was ice cold.
"Klause are you okay?" I looked up at him again and his face had changed. His eyes were black and his fangs were bared.
This time he did not look as he did when we were in the library- he was scarier.
Suddenly I was yanked forward, crashing into his chest, his arms enclosed around me in an iron grip.
"Goodbye, Caroline" He said but his voice was different, more menacing.
I fought, kicked and punched, but it was no use.
When I caught sight of his face again, it was inches away from my neck, his fangs gleaming in the light.
I closed my eyes and screamed.
I sat with my back against a tree, the rain coming down around me.
Anger, shame, embarrassment- rejection. Everything roared in my mind as strong as the storm I was currently in.
I had left early that morning, not only to avoid the rain but to also have extra time to meet with the pack.
They had been giving me trouble lately, going into town without permission/ If they flaunted around any more, the townspeople would easily start suspect.
During my visit, one of the mutts decided to step up and challenge my alpha status. He seemed to have a decent amount of followers, so I made an example of him.
I didn't exactly kill him because I need every wolf I can possibly get, but no one will soon make the mistake of challenging my power.
After dealing with the pack i set out to find something to eat. Usually I would go into town and have my way with the next warm body that caught my fancy, but in the last month I had spent with Caroline, the thought of feeding from a woman repulsed me.
I found a decent sized deer and drank my fill, then ran back to the cabin, anxious to see Caroline's beautiful face. Waking up that morning and leaving without a word to her had bothered me. In the past month, I had always woken up with her and never started my day without first talking to her.
I was developing feelings for her, feelings I had never experienced with any other woman- not even Tatia.
Getting to the cabin and finding her in my studio was one of the most nerve racking experiences I have had to face. Of course trying to scare her because she had seen and been through much worse.
What I did not expect was her reaction. First, she touched me when I was in my true form. The feel of her warm fingers on my flesh was too much at the moment.
Not much later, she surprised me again by being...not furious with the fact that I had piled of portraits of her.
I couldn't help drawing her. She consumed me all day and at night when she would fall asleep, her scent surrounded me and when I closed my eyes, her angelic face was there again.
Drawing her was the only way I would be able to control myself. She was my muse.
Attempting to kiss her was not one my mind- well attempting to kiss her was always on my mind, but I never intended on trying so soon.
But the moment felt so right, and she wasn't exactly pushing me away. But when I was a breath away, she pulled back. No, more like jumped away from me/ Although it may have been caused by the bolt of thunder that had hit at that moment, the pain and rejection I felt was unbearable.
Before she had a chance to explain herself, I stormed out of the cabin.
I stood up from my place under the tree, the rain still coming down strong.
I walked back, thinking about Caroline. She was so charming and sweet- just liked Tatia.
She had been interested in another man- just liked Tatia.
The thought made me stop. What if she was being nice so that she could manipulate me into going back to her village, back to Tyler?
No, she wasn't like Tatia. Comparing her to Tatia was an insult to her kindness, her genuine good nature and beauty.
I picked up the pace, once again in a hurry to get back to the cabin. I needed to see her, to look her in the eyes and see that she had some sort of feelings for me.
I reached the cabin and walked in, finding her laying on her side on the bed, her back to me, her breathing indicated that she was fast asleep.
I leaned against the threshold and watched her shoulders rise and fall.
She turned then, laying flat on her back, her right arm draped across her stomach.
She wore the same blue dress she had slept in the night before. The color made her eyes look brighter and her hair seem like a halo around her. Not to mention that it gave me a perfect view of her curves.
"Klaus..." She mumbled so low that if my hearing hadn't been perfect, I wouldn't have been able to make out what she said.
I stepped forward and noticed that her eyes were moving behind her lids, which probably meant that she was dreaming.
"I'm sorry..." she mumbled again "I didn't mean..." She kept trailing off and her breathing became quicker, her heart started to pick up it's pace.
"Caroline" I said softly, taking her hand in mine.
"Please..." She said, her soft murmur carried a pleading tone, her heart beat faster, her breathing became erratic.
I flashed around to the other side of the bed and climbed in next to her.
"Caroline" I said again as softly as I could manage.
"Right at that moment, she shot up, a blood curdling scream coming from her.
I grabbed her by the waist and pulled her back into my chest. She grabbed at my shirt and pulled herself closer and I gathered her so that she was on my lap.
"It's okay, it's okay" I said soothingly, wrapping my arms around her and letting her get comfortable "It's me, you're safe"
I waited, letting her breathing calm and her heart rate slow.
I looked over to her pillow, noticing the tear stains on her fabric- I had made her cry.
I looked down at her. Her head was tucked into my neck, her breath warm on my collarbone. She had had a nightmare about me.
"Caroline," I whispered.
"Hm"
"Sweetheart, I would never hurt you. Ever" I said, putting as much honesty into my voice as I could.
When she didn't say anything I panicked a little.
"You know that, right?" After a few seconds of silence she nodded.
I sighed, feeling somewhat better. She shifted again and soon she was sitting on my lap, her face only a few inches away from mine.
Tear tracks ran down her cheeks and I reached up to wipe them away.
"I didn't mean to" she said, her voice raw from crying and screaming. I looked at her slightly confused.
I didn't mean to push you away...earlier today when we..." She started but looked down at her hands which were now on her lap.
"I'm sorry" She said, looking up at me.
He eyes were as green as I had ever seen them and I knew that at that moment, she really meant it. She was not trying to deceive me or manipulate me like Tatia- she really had some sort of feelings for me.
I pulled her in gently and placed a kiss on her forehead.
"Thank you" I said and then touched my forehead to hers. She stayed there, her eyes closed as she sighed.
There it was- another chance to kiss those perfect pink lips. But the time didn't feel right.
Her stomach growled and I pulled away to look at her.
"Hungry?" I asked, smiling down at her. I sometimes forgot that she was human and still needed to eat real food. She opened her eyes and nodded.
"Alright, I will get you something to eat" I said and patted her thigh, prompting her to get back on the bed.
I flashed into the kitchen and started getting a plate of food together, all the while listening to what was going on in the other room.
When I was satisfied with the amount I had on the plate I flashed back to the bedroom.
Caroline was right where I had left her, sitting cross legged on her side of the bed.
"Klaus, why are you all wet?" She asked as I placed the plate of food next to her.
"The rain caught up to me" I said and started moving to my side of the bed, but I was stopped when I felt her fingers wrap around my arm.
"Oh no. You are not getting into bed like that- go change"
"It's my bed!" I argued.
"Well I won't sleep in here with you like that" She said, releasing me and crossing her arms over her chest.
I chuckled and went to the wardrobe, grabbing a pair of trousers and a shirt. I changed in the parlor and then returned to the bedroom, dropping my wet clothes on the ground next to the bed.
"There" I said sitting next to her.
"Better" She said between a bite of bread and cheese.
We finished off the plate of food together- well, she finished it, I only ate when she insisted that I took a bite.
We both cleaned up and decided to turn in early.
"Why didn't you tell me you could paint?" She said as we were climbing in under the covers.
I turned to her and she did the same so that we were laying facing each other.
"I've never told anyone, really"
"Really?"
"Yes, it's not something I talk about" I said, looking away from her.
"Well, I'm sorry for intruding" She said, which snapped my attention back to her. I never expected her to apologize.
"I would have shown you eventually" I said and brought my hand up to her cheek "You are my muse after all" I hadn't planned on telling her that. But when it slipped past my lips, it felt good that she knew.
"Klaus," She said, a dreamy quality in her voice, a sparkle in her eyes. She placed her hand over mine and closed her eyes.
When she opened them again, there was a fire in them- determination.
She started closing in, making the distance between us non-existent.
When her soft lips touched mine, I still couldn't believe it was happening.
When she didn't pull away, I kissed her once, twice three times and she returned each movement. When I slid my tongue over her bottom lip she let out a sweet moan and I promised myself I would make that sound come out of her again. When I repeated the action she didn't moan, but instead parted her lips and invited me in..
I let my tongue slip past her lips and soon they were locked in battle.
I noticed that she was much too far away so I realised her cheek and let my hand slid down to her waist. I pulled her to me and her arms immediately went around my neck, our legs entangled. Her whole body was pressed up against mine and I took the opportunity to explore the curve of her waist and hip.
The kiss was passionate- hungry. I knew she had never kissed a man and I would make sure her lips touched no one else but mine.
She began to pull away and I pushed further, stealing a few more seconds. But she was human and would eventually need to breathe.
When we finally pulled away I let my forehead touch hers. My eyes were closed and I knew hers were too. When she let out a content sigh I opened my eyes.
She had a small smile on her lips but her eyes were still closed. I moved and dropped a chaste kiss on her swollen lips. She let out a short giggle.
When she finally opened her eyes, I knew she didn't regret it.
She adjusted herself and lay on my chest, wrapping her arms around my torso.
I rested my chin on her head and kept one arm wrapped around her waist, the other behind my head.
"You don't know how long I've been waiting to do that" I whispered and she tilted her head up, her emerald green eyes catching the little light that there was in the room.
"Why didn't you?"
"It was never the right moment" I said and she smiled, reaching up and grabbing the hand behind my head. She laced her fingers with mine and pushed herself up slightly so that she could touch her lips to mine.
This kiss wasn't passionate or hungry, but sweet and affectionate.
When she pulled away she smiled again and laid down on my chest once more, our linked hands rested next to her.
"It was always the right moment"
So there you go!
There are only a couple of chapters left and I'm hoping to have this story wrapped up by the end of this month (June 30th)!
I've already started working on the website that I mentioned before because a lot of you guys thought it was a good idea. I'm hoping to also have that finished up by the end of this month, and I'll give you guys the link in a few chapters!
I also plan on updating again sometime this week so keep an eye out!
Bye for now!
~M
P.S.: OMG CANDICE ACCOLA IS ENGAGED! I'm really happy for her and wish her the best of luck! But seriously, Klaroline needs to continue on The Originals or something. Like for real.