A/N: This one was written for the Klaroline Winter Gift Exchange. The prompt was: "Our Christmas party turned into a tropical theme because the radiator is broken and it's hotter than hell in here - damn you look good without a shirt i never noticed before." Friends AU

The Christmas party was Caroline's crown jewel in her collection of events every year. Thanksgiving was her warm up - five course meal just for their group of friends. But the party is where she goes all out. It's usually themed, has a dress code, everything set up to perfection (which of course she began planning in September already). Luckily Caroline inherited her spacious two-bedroom New York City apartment when her grandmother moved to Florida so there was always enough space for friends, acquaintances and the strange neighbour who always paced outside her door twice a day.

Stefan was the culprit. Her annoying older brother, who was doing an even more unnecessary 'will they, won't they' dance with Caroline's high school friend and current roommate, Elena. He was at their apartment while Caroline was putting up the fairy lights, whining about Elena, trying to make her forgive him for some dumb indiscretion when Caroline ordered him to turn the heat down, only for him to break the knob of the radiator which caused the heat to leak and the apartment to become Mordor hot.

It was Elena's ingenious idea to change the party to a tropical theme. And as Elena welcomed the guests, and Stefan tried to convince the superintendent to fix the radiator (even though the store that sold the knobs wouldn't be open until Tuesday) so Caroline was in charge of getting ice and organizing the drinks.

"You need some help there, love?" She turned around to find the accented voice of her neighbour/brother's best friend Klaus.

"Oh thank god, Klaus, can you fetch that cooler with all the ice in over there?" She responded.

He returned with the box which she used to make drinks for the guests, and asked, "So what is your brilliant plan to get us through this heat?"

"Alcohol and lack of clothing, that's all I have until the radiator is fixed."

"Oh yes, poor Stefan is trying to bribe the super to fix it so that he can convince Elena that he is an assertive fellow," Klaus chuckled, "Please Caroline, shoot me if I ever become that needy for a woman's attention."

Caroline snorted, "You can't even keep a woman around long enough to become needy."

Klaus had become a familiar presence in her life over the last couple of years. She was the one that tipped him off that apartment across from her was for sale and ever since he moved in they had struck up an unlikely friendship that made it easier for them to lean on each other.

They met when he transferred to Columbia from Cambridge and became friends with Stefan, she at the time was still in high school and when Stefan brought him home for Thanksgiving she had an instant crush. He was handsome, and charming and of course he had that perfect English accent, how could she not like him? But she was still going through her awkward stage, where she was gangly, and had a mass of frizzy hair and braces, plus she could barely get out two words in his presence. It was no surprise when he ended that weekend sleeping with Tatia, her very friendly neighbour instead.

As they grew older, the friendship and even their flirting became almost natural, and as their group of friends rounded out, the connection between of them were still stronger than ever. She still sometimes cringed when she thought about how she acted around him as a teenager, she was all worked up like that over Klaus?

"So has your party been a success, besides the whole 'pits of hell' heat thing?" Klaus asked her later that evening as they sat on her balcony.

"Disastrous," she responded.

"How come?" He sounded shocked, "Everyone seemed as if they were having a good time."

"One man thought I was Stefan's mother. Mother, Klaus! I'm 4-years younger than him."

"Oh, that man from 2D, he once asked me if I was related to Alfred from Batman, crazy mixed with alcohol does not bode well, I hardly think that he is someone you should base your opinions of yourself on."

"Then there was my mother, who said that even though Stefan is divorced he is more likely to get married again than I am to ever step down the aisle."

Klaus sucked in a breath, "Tact was never one of Liz's strong suits. But at least in my opinion, you were the most beautiful woman in the room tonight, although I tend to think you are the most beautiful woman in any room. Any man would be lucky to be with you. "

Caroline blinked at him, the alcohol clouding her vision just a smidge, "When did you take your shirt off?"

He chuckled and took a sip of his drink, "Somewhere between the fourth and fifth hour, just before your French colleague threw up, the heat was becoming unbearable."

Caroline looked at him, really looked at him, and for the first time since she was a teenager, she allowed herself to drink in how attractive he really was. Oh, she noted it on the odd occasion when his clothes hung on him just right, but for the first time she noted that she had never seen him shirtless before that day. His body looked almost sculpted by the gods, his abs flawless, the tattoos and then the trail of hair which led right to the waistband of his shorts. That's when she realized she was too drunk to stop what was going to happen.

She launched herself at him. For someone who prided herself on being orderly and organized, there was nothing orderly about the way she pounced on him. Her lips meeting his, her tongue forcing his mouth open and her hands everywhere, he kissed her back for a moment before, pulling away.

"Caroline, just how drunk are you?"

She tucked a piece of hair behind her ear, feeling a bit embarrassed at her actions, "Drunk enough to admit I want this, not drunk enough that you would be taking advantage of me."

"That's all I needed to know," he exclaimed as he grabbed the back of her head and kissed her passionately again, their tongues battling each other for dominance. She moved her body to straddle him better and his hands moved to her ass, cupping it, before roaming around the rest of her body, touching what he always wished he could.

She pulled away this time, whispering, "Bedroom. Elena. Out. With. Stefan."

He carried on kissing her neck, ignoring her words, until she climbed out of his lap and he pouted, staring at their intertwined hands as she led them inside.

The weird thing about having sex with Klaus was that it didn't feel weird at all as it should when you become intimate with someone that you have known for such a long time, it felt almost right. The door of her bedroom was barely closed when he grabbed her again, kissing her, pulling off her skimpy layers of clothing. He was only wearing a pair of shorts which she made quick work of, he lifted his eyebrow questioningly at her, "that was fast."

"Patience was never one of my strong suits," she responded.

"Don't I know it," he said as he lowered her onto the bed.

He followed her, his eyes scouring her almost as if he could not believe he was allowed to see her so bare, that he had earned a privilege.

There was no preamble, hardly any foreplay, just his mouth - governing, worshipping, guiding her. She always knew that he had to be somewhat good at sex, from all his ex lovers who tended to follow him around like puppy dogs in hopes that he will give them another ride on that ole horse.

While his mouth was lapping at her breasts, his hands were making good work of her panties - rubbing against them, slowly removing them until there wasn't a stitch of clothing left between them.

"I've thought about this so many times," he whispered reverently, "What it would be like to be with you."

She smiled up at him and she pulled his head down to kiss her again.

"Condom," he grunted.

She scooted away from him and reached into the drawer in her nightstand and pulled out a foil packet.

He looked relieved as he took it from her and quickly rolled it over his cock. She licked her lips in anticipation as he moved to position himself by her entrance. He edged himself inside of her slowly, inch by inch, waiting for her to accustom to his size, and once he was fully sheathed within her warmth, he started to move. Caroline had never felt anything as euphoric as his cock moving against her walls, filling her entirely, taking pleasure from her body. She was glad that Elena was not home because that night she was converted into a screamer - calling out his name, God, and every other deity, to mad=ke her appreciation known.

Once she had reached her peak and he followed her soon after and the two laid spent on her bed, but before they could discuss what had just happened, she had him in her mouth ready to start again.

She laid in her bed unwilling to move the next morning. Because not only was it completely comfortable to be sleeping next to Klaus, she also knew that if she moved he would wake up and then the awkward conversation would begin.

"Caroline," he grunted in his sleep. They were definitely going to be in an awkward stage after the previous night's events. Part of her wanted to just tell him to forget about everything, it could be a funny anecdote they told at next year's Thanksgiving dinner. But another part of her didn't want to be another notch on his belt, a Klaus' one night stand story, part of her really enjoyed what happened between them the previous night and didn't want it to stop.

"So I guess this is the part where you tell me last night was a mistake?" He said, in a sleep-ridden voice.

"You know it is, Klaus, we shouldn't have done that."

"But we did, and I don't regret it, we were sensational together, and I truly care about you."

"And what if it doesn't work?" She moved away from him in the bed.

"Well, we would not know if we don't at least give it a shot, that's all I'm asking for Caroline, a chance," he said earnestly,

"Okay," she responded, "But we tell no one, this group cannot deal with another Stefan and Elena."

"Whatever you say," he purred, as he kissed down her body and as he began to repay the favour. She kind of wanted to thank the radiator...

A/N: Thanks so much for reading!

A special thanks to jessnicole, IFancyu, chillwithJyl, jomomayheart, TwilightHybrid, JuseaPeterson, LoonyTuned and all the guests that reviewed since the last update. You guys are the best!