So I saw this prompt somewhere on Tumblr and my muse led me to write this little drabble! Enjoy :)

Prompt: and Rebekah have been in the same dance program for years. Klaus comes to every show. Rebekah gets sick and can't come to a final performance, but he goes anyway to see Caroline.

Enchanted Waltz

"It's so unfair, Nik! After months of hard work and perfecting the Rose Adagio, wasted because of a stupid fever!"

Rebekah coughed loudly, her face pale and a sheen of sweat glistening on her hot forehead.

Klaus shushed her, shaking his head sympathetically as he placed the bowl of broth on his younger sister's bedside table. "I know, Bekah, I know. But you really need to eat, and then get a good rest."

Rebekah smiled gratefully at his fussing over her—rarely did Niklaus fuss over anyone, and she would take what she could get—before it melted back into the pout she had been sporting since she woke up this morning with a hacking cough and a raging fever. "But this was my big moment! I've wanted the role of Sleeping Beauty since I was little, and I deserved it. And now Caroline Forbes is going to have to do it, and God knows her form is nowhere near as perfect as mine during Act I Scene 9…"

Klaus froze, his mind tuning out his sister's rant to focus one that one tidbit of information.

Caroline Forbes.

How delightful.

He had only met Caroline a few times, usually as he headed backstage after a performance with flowers for Rebekah. The first time he had seen her dance, with her bright smile and lovely long legs, he had been enchanted with her; and by a stroke of luck, Rebekah had introduced them, and rather coolly at that.

He knew there was little love lost between the two blonde dancers, as both of them constantly vied for the leading roles, and more often than not when one of them landed a lead, the other would be assigned as the understudy.

And although Klaus had never missed any of Rebekah's performances, he found that as time went on that he attended less and less for his sister and more and more for her blonde rival.

And it was with that reason in mind that, when he was certain Rebekah was asleep a few hours later, he found himself sending a quick text to Elijah to keep an eye on her while he was gone, and stealthily sneaking out of her apartment.

He had a show to catch.

Caroline was no stranger to receiving a modest amount of flowers and tokens of appreciation from appreciative audience members sprucing up her dressing room and giving her a much-needed ego boost after a long night of performing. She changed out of her costume quickly, feeling on top of the world after her first performance of portraying Aurora. And judging by her cast mates' and crew's warm remarks backstage after curtain call, she had done a marvelous job, if she did say so herself.

Rifling through the flowers and cards, her attention was immediately caught by a thick envelope with her name printed on it in stunning calligraphy.

Curious, Caroline tore open the envelope, breath hitching as she gently pulled out the piece of paper within.
Her own features smiled up at her, drawn to perfection in the clean strokes of an artist's hand. Gasping at the sheer beauty of the sketch, she turned the paper over, and found a note cramped at the bottom of the page in the same elegant script.

Great dancers are not great because of their technique, they are great because of their passion. You have both in abundance. Thank you for your ardent and moving performance.

Fondly,

An admirer

"Anna, do you have an idea who sent this?" Caroline found her voice, glancing back at her fellow dancer who had just passed by the door to her room.

Anna frowned slightly. "I'm actually still trying to figure that out," the brunette replied thoughtfully. "I know I've seen him around before, but I still can't quite place where—Oh wait, now I remember!" She smiled, a bit mischievously. "It's Rebekah's older brother—not Elijah, the other broody one with the dirty blonde hair."

Caroline's brows shot up in surprise. "Klaus sent this to me?"

"Looks like it."

Caroline gaze back down at the drawing, thoughts swirling. So, Klaus Mikaelson was an artist. She shouldn't be so surprised, what with Rebekah's expertise at dance, that one of her siblings would excel in art as well, if only a different medium.

She swallowed hard as she read his message again, feeling a bit warm. She had seen him come to the shows regularly, and he had always smiled at her in greeting when he ran into her backstage—but never had she thought he had been interested in her. Not in that way, at least.

And didn't he know that she and Rebekah didn't get along?

She froze as an even worse thought crossed her mind. What if Rebekah had put him up to it as some sort of trick, only for him to humiliate her later? She wouldn't put it past the other girl at all, to be frank. Her anger seethed at the idea. After all, according to Rebekah, Klaus was her favorite brother, and judging from what she'd seen of them together they seemed extremely close. And if he was anything like Rebekah, the queen of pettiness, it seemed more and more likely to be a very real possibility.

Caroline clenched her fists, nearly crumpling the drawing in the process. This wouldn't do at all. There was no way she was going to go out with Rebekah's brother. Not even if he was attractive beyond belief, and had sketched her so beautifully—

Nope. Not going down that road, Forbes.

Squaring her shoulders, she quickly finished dressing and headed out of her dressing room, smiling politely and thanking the slew of people who shouted congratulations her way, never lingering in one spot for too long, excusing herself by explaining she had places to be.

Namely, she had to give one Klaus Mikaelson a piece of her mind.

"What the hell is wrong with you?"

Klaus looked up from his relaxed stance leaning against the backstage hallway wall, his previously tense face relaxing into a dimpled grin. "Caroline. It's lovely to see you, too." His eyes took in her irritated state, lingering on the angry flush on her cheeks, finally zeroing in on the sketch he had drawn for her held in her shaking fist. "Something the matter, sweetheart?"

Glaring, she grabbed his arm, practically shoving him into the privacy of her dressing room, closing the door forcefully behind them before turning to face him again. "Are you serious right now?" she hissed. "One, don't call me that. I'm nobody's sweetheart. Two, of course something's the matter. You are trying to seduce me, and I don't care that you're hot, Rebekah has got another thing coming if she thinks I'll fall for some stupid revenge scheme she's roped you into—"

She ceased her tirade as he burst out laughing, earning himself a look of utter chagrin.

"Shut up, Mikaelson, it's not funny," she growled.

"I know, I know—"

"Then stop laughing."

He quieted, unable to wipe the smirk off his face as he closed the distance between them, invading her personal space, pleased when her eyes widened and her breath caught.

He reached out and ran a finger down her cheek. She shivered in response.

"Do you honestly believe that Rebekah sent me here, as some sort of nefarious plot to humiliate you?"

"Yes."

He hummed absently, tucking astray curl behind her ear. "One thing you will learn about me, Caroline, is that I answer to none but myself, and I would sooner be put in jail than cater to any of my baby sister's ridiculous whims, vengeful or otherwise."

Caroline stared at him intently, considering him. Then her rigid posture relaxed slightly, a chuff of air escaping her painted red lips. "You're telling the truth."

It wasn't a question.

He simply nodded.

Her cheeks reddening at her peeking up at him from under her lashes. "But…why me? Your sister practically hates me, and you barely know me. Why ask me out?"

Klaus shrugged, lips quirking up in a dimpled smirk. "Why not? I want to get to know you, to discover who you really are underneath the many masks you assume up on that stage. Besides, I fancy you."

"You what?"

"Is that so hard to believe?" He raised an eyebrow at her shocked expression.

"Yes."

"Why? You're a beautiful woman. You're strong and graceful, both physically and mentally, if constantly dealing with my sister's temper is any measurement to go by. And I cannot count the number of times the stage has lit up more brightly because of your presence." He smiled at her once more. "Simply put, I enjoy you."

Caroline gaped at him, a blush staining her cheeks at his words. Klaus sincerely hoped he hadn't overdone it. But he had sensed that idle platitudes and vague compliments would get him nowhere with this particular woman.

He felt a tug of victory when she didn't scoff at his words. "But…but Rebekah—"

"I am not my sister, Caroline. Although I certainly value her opinion, you'll find that we disagree on many things."

Caroline eyed him appraisingly, her face neutral, but gradually her expression warmed.

"Well, then," she said in a business-like tone, "As you've answered truthfully, I suppose I can only repay you in kind."

And, with two graceful strides of her long legs, she cradled his face in between her hands and kissed him softly.

She broke away, smiling at his rather dazed expression. "So, Prince Charming, what happens now?" she teased him, threading her fingers through his curls.

Klaus's eyes pierced right through her. "Now?" he repeated, arms encircling her waist and giving her a slow, burning look. "Why, I request a dance with the princess, of course. Put those gorgeous legs to good use."

Masking her shiver of anticipation, Caroline kept her poker-face, but her eyes glittered with mischief. "Are you questioning my dancing prowess?"

"Consider it more of a demonstration, sweetheart."

Caroline smirked at him, reveling in the obvious desire emanating from his whole being. "Well then…"

Wrapping one leg around his waist, she pulled him closer and kissed him fiercely. "I hope you're prepared for quite the show, Your Royal Highness."

He smiled against her lips. "I'm counting on it, Princess."

The first sentence of Klaus's note is a quote by Martha Graham. And if you've never listened to at least some of Tchaikovsky's Sleeping Beauty ballet please do yourself a favor check it out! Please leave me a review with your thoughts! Hopefully this little drabble will get me back into the writing game :) Until next time!