Dancing with You
4x19 alternate drabble
Caroline stood in the living room, unsure of what she wanted. Did she want to start drinking before everyone else showed up? Did she want to break down and let herself cry because she hadn't gotten the prom she had wanted at all? Did she want to go and snap Elena's neck for everything and give into her anger?
A knocking on the front door broke her out of her thoughts, and she rushed to the it, glad to have a distraction from her self, at least for the moment. "Klaus?" She asked as soon as she pulled the door open, confusion clear in her tone, not having expected to find him there. "What are you doing here?"
He smiled at her, and she smiled back finding herself unable to not return it even as upset as she was at everything, waiting for his response. "I heard that you had left prom and I came to see if it was everything that you wanted it to be."
She prepared herself to say that it was everything she had ever dreamed, the perfect prom that everyone wanted, so that he could go on his way and she could go back to sulking. But she really didn't want him to leave. She didn't want to be alone, and she didn't want to lie to him anymore. So she let out a sigh, her shoulder slumping forward. "Not really. Elena was being awful, and I only got one dance, and this was supposed to be the most magical night of my life."
Klaus looked at her for a moment, searching her face, and then he held out a hand. "Well come on then." She smiled wider, putting her hand in his and letting him lead her out to the grassy front lawn. She looped her arms around his neck, and he rested his hands on her hips, swaying them back and forth. It wasn't at like when they danced at his ball, none of the elegance, or music... but it was nice. Comfortable. The slow dance that was something she had always wanted for her prom night. And it wasn't perfect, and it wasn't what she had always dreamed of, not by any stretch. But still, there was something incredibly wonderful about swaying with Klaus under the stars, the crickets in the background the only thing resembling music that they had.
And as they continued to move together, Klaus eventually starting to spin them around when she began to hum softly, she laid her head on his chest, feeling him stiffen for a moment in surprise before relaxing again.
Caroline didn't know how long they stayed like that, though she knew that it wasn't that long when no one showed up for the after party, but she didn't care. For the first time that night, she didn't want the night to end. She didn't want that moment to end. She didn't want to go back to denying herself this, the feel of his arms around her. Something had happened in the course of their dance, something had shifted. She realized that for the first time, someone was concerned about her and her state of mind. And he had done his best to comfort her and take her mind off things. And it had worked. "I'll um, bring the dress back tomorrow?"
He pulled away from her, offering her one last smile for the night. "Whenever you want." And she watched as he walked away, a smile on her face at the promise of tomorrow.