Two months. That's how long it had been since Stefan's funeral. That's how long it had been since her and Klaus had gotten in that awful fight. That's how long it had been since she had spoken to him.
For the first week after the incident, she had spent the night with Elena over at Damon's penthouse. Caroline definitely hadn't been paying attention to the romance that had been blooming there. She didn't question it though. It was nice to see Elena happy again after all the heartache they had been through.
His fits had started up again at night, just like she had expected. More clanging, and shattering, and yelling to the world about who knows what, had filled those silent nights she so desperately missed. Each time she thought about going upstairs to see him, she would remember him throwing the whiskey bottle at her, and would find something else to occupy her time. Everything was a mess.
Damon was wary of her, afraid Caroline would try to get Klaus to interact with them again. She had learned her lesson the first time, and knew it would be a while before Damon would be comfortable around him. Tyler would never be okay around him. Elena, thankfully, just wanted Caroline to be safe and happy. If that meant hanging around Klaus when the time came, so be it.
Currently, Caroline was sitting on her couch alone, stuffing her face with lasagna while she watched a chick flick on cable. It was seven o'clock on a Friday night, and she was home alone. Typical Caroline.
What she hadn't been anticipating was the knock at her door. She turned to face it, slightly afraid of what might be on the other side. It couldn't be Klaus. He wasn't exactly in a talking mood. Elena was with Damon and Tyler was off living his life. She was pretty sure he had mentioned something about a date. Either way, it wasn't them at her door.
She slowly got up, putting the plate of lasagna on the coffee table before crossing the room and looking through her peephole. Well…this wasn't whom she had been expecting. Caroline opened the door and stood to the side.
"Rebekah, hey. It's been a while since I've seen you."
The other blonde nodded before walking in. Ha. And Klaus complained that she barged in. Caroline closed the door, turning around to face the woman.
"It's good to see you, Caroline. Sorry I haven't been around much. Just been busy with Landon."
"It's okay. Um, can I ask why you're here? You've never been to my place before."
"Well, as you know…my brother isn't doing so well. The dark circles under his eyes have returned, he seems more distant than ever, and that leaves me to be a very worried sister."
"What does this have to do with me?"
"Are you kidding me? It has everything to do with you."
"But-"
"Caroline, I'm not blaming you," she said calmly. Caroline was taken aback. Oh.
"You don't?"
"No. Nik told me about your spat. I don't blame you for believing Tyler, but I know you didn't necessarily shoot my brother down either. I certainly don't blame you for wanting to take Nik's side as well. I'm grateful he even has someone else on his side."
"Do you believe him?"
"He's my brother," was her only answer. Caroline took that for a yes.
"I feel like I did something wrong. For trying to be friends with Klaus, and for believing my best friend when he told me he didn't murder someone. I don't know how to fix things, because I don't feel like I should have to." Why did Caroline always have to fix things? Couldn't someone else fix it for once?
"Nik doesn't handle disappointment well. He builds a wall around his heart to protect himself. He's a very complex and infuriating man."
"Tell me about," she scoffed, "So…what exactly are you wanting me to do?"
"Yes…why I'm here," she said thoughtfully, "I came here to ask if you would talk to him."
"What? Are you crazy? We didn't end on good terms!"
"Caroline, you're the only one who can get through to him. He talks to me, sure, but he won't get close to me. I can't help him because he won't let me in. You…on the other hand…he will let in."
"How are you so sure?"
"Because I know you give him something to look forward to when he wakes up in the morning," she said quietly, giving Caroline a small grin, "Don't give up on him. Please. I know it's not fair to ask this of you after what happened, but I love Nik. We stick together, always and forever. I can't watch while he slowly gives up on life. He's been through a lot, and I know there's only so much a man can take." Rebekah sighed, heading for the door as Caroline stood there, completely amazed at what she was hearing. Klaus had made it sound like Rebekah didn't care anymore about him, but she just felt helpless when it came to him.
"I'll try," Caroline said quickly, before Rebekah could leave. How could she not after hearing that? His sister smiled, nodding her head.
"Thank you. I mean that." Rebekah went to leave, but turned back around. "And Caroline?"
"Yea?"
"Don't break his heart. I like you, but I'm not afraid to scratch your eyes out if you hurt him." There was a hint of playfulness in her voice, but there was also a definite threat present in that statement.
Caroline laughed. "Don't worry. I don't plan to."
Rebekah smiled. "Then I'll see you around," she said, turning on her heels and walking out of the little apartment, closing the door behind her.
The weight of what she needed to do finally hit her. Seriously, she needed to quit getting in these situations. She wanted to help Klaus, but what if he didn't want her help? If what Rebekah had said was true, then this shouldn't be difficult. But when was it every easy?
She began pacing around her apartment, debating on when the best time to go upstairs would be. This was going to be a tough night.
It was another four hours before Caroline decided she had waited long enough. Not only was she waiting for her nerves to toughen; she was waiting for the yelling to start for the night. Strangely, it never happened. That was odd. Great. Now she was worried.
Caroline walked out into the hallway and went upstairs to stand in front of his door. She stood in her short, blue pajama bottoms and matching tank top. When would she ever be able to just knock on the door? Like a normal neighbor? Like a regular old friend? Like…well…
She shook the thought from her head as she listened for movement inside. Still nothing. Right as she lifted her fist to knock, something caught her attention. The door wasn't completely shut. It was ajar just slightly, letting anyone standing outside have a peek into his apartment. This just screamed not weird. Nope. Not weird at all.
It might have raised more of a red flag if she didn't see him leaning against his couch while he sat on the floor. Klaus was just staring at nothing with his hands on his head. He was concentrating intently on something, but to her, it wasn't anything.
"Klaus?" she said quietly as she carefully opened the door. He didn't say anything. Why wasn't he throwing his usual fit? This was something new. She closed the door behind her and walked over to his armchair to sit down. He hadn't moved a muscle. Caroline wasn't sure if she should remain silent or if she should say something. This was uncharted territory.
"Klaus…it's me, Caroline. I thought we could talk. Is that okay?"
Nothing. This was not going good. Caroline wasn't sure how to engage him in conversation when he was like this. She was about to lean back in the chair and wait out the silence, but he moved then, coming out of his daze and taking his hands away from his head, rubbing them together as he did.
"What are you doing here?" he asked, all the while not looking at her.
"I was hoping we could-"
"I know what you said. I mean why do you want to talk? Last time you were here, I was pretty sure I made it clear I didn't need or want your company."
"About that…you're a terrible liar," she said. As Caroline predicted, he didn't find it funny.
"Shouldn't you be with your friends or something?"
"They're busy tonight, and I wanted to come see how you were doing."
"I thought your little group did everything together."
"Mostly. We each have our separate lives though."
"Wonderful," he said dryly, "Now, if you'll excuse me, I have my own life to get back to," he said, standing up and walking away from Caroline. Not so fast there. She wasn't going to let him get away. Caroline Forbes was not one to just be pushed away. It was time to stop being meek and timid.
"And what's that? Staring at coffee tables and having shouting matches with your whiskey bottles?" She asked smugly. He stopped, clenching his fists together as he twitched his head just slightly to the side. That had definitely pissed him off. Perfect. Now she had his attention. It was a mean way of getting it, but she had to do something.
"You say such hurtful things," he said sarcastically.
"When I try saying nice things, you won't listen," she retorted.
"Does it look like I'm not listening now?"
"I think you're all ears."
"Then say what you want, and go."
"I'm not going anywhere, and you can't make me," she said, crossing her arms stubbornly and sticking her tongue out at him.
"Well, if we're playing this game, I was here first."
"Klaus, you can't just keep telling me to leave. I'm trying to talk to you. I don't want you to keep shutting me out."
"You're shit out of luck then," he said as he stormed away again, going to sit on his bed. He put his elbows on his knees and bit down gently on his fingers as they clasped together. If he wasn't so miffed, she might've considered it kind of hot. Oh hell, she thought it was hot anyway. Caroline walked over to his kitchen counter top and propped herself up so she was sitting on it.
"Are you afraid?" she asked softly.
"Afraid of what?"
"Caring too much? Because I think you felt something two months ago, and you're afraid to let someone in that way."
"How deep of you. Get that off some cheaply designed medical website? Psychology for dummies perhaps?"
"I'm serious!"
"So am I."
"Ugh!" was all she could manage to get out. This was what he wanted. He wanted her to get frustrated and leave. That wouldn't happen though. She would not just leave him there alone. This…this thing between them had been going on for months. Caroline had been intrigued practically since the day he moved to the building. Klaus had admitted to at least fancying her. And two months ago…something had happened. It had gone from simply fancying her, and just being friends, to something a lot more than that. Caroline noticed that Klaus refused to look at her, and that just about confirmed her suspicions that he felt the same way. If that was the case…why not give it everything she had?
"I felt something between us that night," she confessed with an unwavering sense of confidence. Klaus went still, blinking a couple times as he processed her words. She took that as her cue to keep going.
"I care about you. I'm sorry if you felt betrayed that I believed Tyler, but what am I supposed to do? He is my best friend. And I have known him since I was four. But the thing you're not getting is that you're my best friend too. Actually…" she paused, noticing that Klaus was now watching her, with dare she say hope in his eyes. She could see the wall he had built up come crumbling down as she spoke.
"Actually what?" he asked, completely enthralled by her. Caroline slipped down off the counter and strolled over to his bed, kneeling down in front of him.
"I think we both know we're past the friend stage," she said quietly. He looked away from her and stared at the floor.
"How do I know you won't go gallivanting off with Tyler later? Caroline, I can't…I couldn't…" he sputtered. She shushed him gently, shaking her head.
"Tyler and I have never been like that. I love him, and he loves me, but it's not in a romantic way," she reassured him, "Do you remember the night Stefan died? And how we talked out on the fire escape?"
He nodded.
"Did you know that Tyler had offered to stay with me right before that, but I told him I wanted to be alone?"
He shook his head, that hopeful look still in his eyes. "You never told me that."
"I know. I never thought anything of it until recently. Apparently, I needed someone else's company that night, and I didn't even realize it until I had it."
"Don't say things like that unless you mean it. I-I don't like feeling like this. Like I'm…I'm…"
"Vulnerable?"
"Yea."
"Well, you aren't. You're not the one putting your heart out there," she said softly, standing upright on her knees so that she was at eye level with him. Klaus began to look uncomfortable again, but she kept talking.
"I'm right here, and I'm not going anywhere. Not if you don't want me to. If you really want me to go…I'll leave. But, if you want me to stay…" she trailed off, searching his eyes for something. Anything.
Klaus stared at her as only he could. With that hopeful, yet scrutinizing expression, like he didn't completely believe what was happening or what she was saying. For a minute, she thought he was going to tell her to leave and never come back. He surprised her though by unclasping his hands and reaching up to touch her hair. Klaus almost snatched it back just as quickly, but she shook her head, not reaching for his hand with her own for fear of scaring him off.
"It's okay…you're not going to hurt me…I trust you," she whispered.
His hand remained about halfway to her hair before he slowly brought it down, stroking as gently as he could. His fingers danced along the strands, feeling them between his fingers as they then slid down to brush her shoulder very lightly. She watched him intently as his hand went down her arm, going to her hand to gently take it in his. His thumb ran across her fingers slowly, like he was trying to memorize the feel of her. After a while, he let go and brought his hand back up to her face, this time pausing again before finally…he placed his palm on her cheek. Caroline smiled and rubbed into his hand a little, relishing in the touch of it. Slowly, she began to inch closer to him, reaching her hand out to rub his cute curls back a little. Then, she brought her hands around his neck, bringing him into a hug very carefully.
He was motionless as he seemed to adjust to the new feeling, but he was putting his arms around her waist, hugging her back just as tightly as he nestled against her head a little. This felt right. God they had been missing out by their distance. But he had opened up to her more now, and that was the important part.
Caroline pulled back a little, putting her hand on his cheek, stroking her thumb along it gently. He put her hair behind her ear, running his fingers anywhere he could touch.
"Are you sure you want to do this?" he asked her seriously. She nodded.
"Yes. I want to be with you, Klaus," she said with certainty.
"Good…because I want to be with you," he whispered hesitantly, but slowly getting that confidence he had back as he continued, "and I want to go out with you tomorrow."
"You mean you want to go on an actual date?"
"Yea, why wouldn't I? I'm not great socially, but I unfortunately can't keep you up here with me all the time. What better time to learn how to act out in the world again…than when I'm with my girl," he said proudly. Caroline blushed a bright red as she smiled like a complete idiot. His girl. That would be something she would have to get used to.
"I like it. And to start the day off right, I think we should have one of our awesome sleepovers."
"Alright. My place or yours?"
"Well," she started, glancing at the bed he was sitting on, "I was thinking here, since we happen to be right near your bed," she mused.
Klaus was beginning to get daring already, because he moved his mouth slowly to her ear, touching it with those full lips she loved. Caroline could almost feel the smirk he was wearing.
"All you have to do is ask," he whispered, his breath tickling her skin.
Yea, she enjoyed this side of Klaus. The flirty, loose side that wasn't afraid to be himself around her. The side that was comfortable enough around her to be himself. She closed her eyes and nodded.
"Can we please just go to bed?" she asked, her breath a bit shaky. He backed away a little and brought her hand up to his lips, so that he could give it a soft kiss. His eyes never once looked away from hers.
"I'd like that," he said, letting her go so that he could slide back on the bed and lean his head against the headboard.
"You don't want to change into something more comfortable than jeans?" she asked, crawling up onto the bed and laying down beside him.
"I've slept in them before. Unless you'd prefer me naked," he suggested, his voice taking on a mischievous tone to it. She giggled, sitting up so she could whisper in his ear this time.
"In due time."
"Sweetheart, you can't expect me to sleep when you whisper sweet things like that to me."
"And here I thought you were so broody and stand offish."
"I may not open up to people much, but I am a man after all. And you know I'm far from being a virgin."
"Just turn the lights off," she said, smiling as she turned over and brought the covers up around her waist. Baby steps. She couldn't risk getting all worked up and giving in to her urges. Ones he apparently had as well. Caroline saw the lights go off, and then felt an arm go around her waist.
"By the way," she said, "what were you so deep in thought about earlier?"
"You mean when you first got here?"
"Yea. You weren't shouting or throwing things. How did you manage to bypass having an episode?"
"Thought I'd try something new. I figured if I didn't let my mind wander, and I thought about anything that wasn't my past, I wouldn't have trouble tonight. I also realized if I didn't concentrate on it though, it wasn't going to work. That's why I looked so out of it."
"Well, whatever it was appeared to be working. I haven't heard an outburst out of you all night," she told him. "What did you end up thinking about?"
Klaus was quiet as she felt him bring his lips down softly on her cheek. He moved from there to her ear, so close that she could feel his breath tickling her skin again. It was the most welcoming sensation she had felt in a long time. His tender response immediately made her cheeks heat up.
"You."
A/N: Yay! You guys deserved this for being patient with me =)
Next chapter, more goodness. As in a date. As in...maybe a first kiss? Hmm ;)
Until next time!
