Hey sorry for the wait, this was a tough one to write! Let me know what you guys think, it would be greatly appreciated! -Cheers
This morning, he's all business. A late night phone call set him into a dark mood. I watched his eyes change from quiet, content, relaxed; to menacing and stone cold in the time it took the first few words to leave the strangers mouth, through the receiver to Klaus.
"I don't want you to go," I know I sound like an immature child, but the thought of being in this city alone, for even an afternoon, freaks me out.
Klaus, finishes clasping his watch in place, before looking up at me with those piercing blue eyes, that somehow make me bend to his every wish like a piece of mouldable clay in his hands. This morning, there is nothing of the love I saw in them only hours ago.
"Living here has its advantages," He approaches me where I'm perched on his bed, wearing nothing but a bed sheet wrapped around me. "But it also has its disadvantages," he slowly slides his hand into my hair, easing my face towards his. I know he's trying to distract me, and its working.
Pressing his lips against mine in the intoxicating way that he does, causing me to melt again him easily, my mind seems to lose track of why I'm upset in the first place. But his hands freeze where they are on my neck, easing me away coolly. Leaving me chilly and empty.
"And as much as I would like to stay with you in this bed for another two days, this town is being run into the ground as we speak," He's withdraw from me now, not looking into my eyes.
"By Marcel?" I ask, without thinking.
He's never explained to me his relationship with Marcel, I still don't fully understand it. From what I've been told, and what I witnessed in the bar two nights ago, it's nothing less than tense.
He stands frozen, staring at me for a second before he thaws and answers tersely.
"By a lot of people," Retrieving his jacket from the end of the bed, he slips his arms through the sleeves without a word. Sighing, he finally looks at me, "Marcel being one of them."
"What're you going to do about it?" I pull my knees to my chest and hug them to myself, yawning. Having gotten less sleep in the past two days than is fit for one night.
He raises an eyebrow at me as he fixes his collar, "I have a certain amount of influence, when it comes to the people of this town." His tone is a mixture of pride and bitterness.
"I've noticed," I mumble into in my knees, remembering the kiss in the bar, how Klaus pretty much floored everyone with his public display of affection. I can't be sure, but I'd take a guess and say they hadn't seen him be so demonstrative in a long time; possibly ever.
My cheeks warm a little as I think back to that moment in the bar. Kissing him with everything I had. Every emotion that flooded through me at that very second, flowing right into him.
"I will be back before dark," His tone is distant as he turns towards the door.
I frown a little, and with vampire speed I stand in front of the exit, blocking his way.
He pauses a second, his serious face still looking down at me, unchanging.
I raise my eyebrows at him, a stern looking plastered on my face.
I watch as his eyes change, focus on me, soften only slightly.
"Okay, I'll just stay here and twiddle my thumbs." I shrug, my eyes narrowing a little at him.
He stares at me for another second before sliding his hands around my waist pulling my closer, I resist a little, his hands tighten, taking a step towards me once he realises I won't go to him.
"I'm sorry Love," His voice is low, passionate. His fingers grasp a handful of the sheet that hangs at my hips. "I'm distracted, I exhausted," His eyes showing a little of a sly twinkle I've seen so much these past few days. My cheeks heat again with that embarrassed blush—but it only lasts a second before his lips press mine, stealing my breath from my lungs with ease.
His tongue glides against mine, his body pressing into me. I let go of the sheet, it slips a few inches.
When I pull away, the bitterness in his eyes has melted away, and his spirits seem to be lifted, even if it is only his horniness talking.
"Don't do that okay." I pin him with a serious look, holding his face so he looks me in the eyes, "Don't pull away from me, okay, I'm here. I'm here for you. You are not allowed to fall away now."
The room has fallen silent, our breathing has returned to normal, though my palms still sweat and my knees are weak.
He opens his mouth, as if to say something, but at first all he gives me is silence.
"I'm here," those two words finally breaking the silence between us, his voice is stone, strong and sure. "Psychologically of course." He glances at his watch before looking back up at me, that darkness creeping back into his eyes only slightly. "I'm expected to be somewhere in about thirty seconds, and I promise you the person I'm meant to meet with is not one of patience."
I nod and drop my hands; rising on my tip toes, I place a small kiss on his lips before slipping around him, getting out of the way of the door.
"I'll see you later," His voice is exasperated, tired, with an edge of excitement.
I fall back onto the bed, with a sigh.
"I'll be here."
XXX
The quarter clanks against the glass, loud against my over sensitive eardrums. My mind becoming quite fuzzy as the effects of the last tequila shot set it.
"Oh!" an uproar of cheers comes from the small crowd gathered around our small drinking game.
"Where did you get so good at this?" The young man, Adam, I think he said his name is, dumps the quarter back onto the counter and takes his shot, grimacing slightly at its strength. "Thought you said you were from a small town." He smiles, and gives me a flirtatious smile, reaching across the table and touching my hand. My automatic reflex is to pull away, clasping my hands in my lap.
"Careful there Adam," A man behind me says, warning in his voice. "She's taken."
"That's right!" Adam tosses the quarter against the counter, missing the shot glass by a mile. He's not very good at this game. Thus the reason he's wasted and I'm only beginning to feel the buzz. "Where is lover boy tonight gorgeous?" Adam raises an eyebrow at me.
"Okay Adam," The man from before steps forward, clapping a hand on Adam's shoulder, squeezing harder than need be. Adam, with his vampire strength wriggles out of the strong grip with some difficulty.
"I think I'm going to get a real drink," I mumble, standing up from the small table, excusing my way through a small crowd, and making my way to the bar; swaying a little on my way, I guess I'm drunker than I thought...
"Can I have a screwdriver please," I ask the bartender, leaning against the bar, waiting for the room to stop spinning.
Someone scoffs behind me, and I turn.
"That's not a real drink."
I heart stops.
"Katherine?" I gasp.
The doppelganger rolls her eyes dramatically, crossing her arms and walking towards me, her heels clicking loudly.
"Well well well... Caroline Forbes. Following a Michaelson around the world..." Her smug smile sends a shot of anger through me. I turn my attention to the drink that is set in front of me; willing her to disappear into thin air.
"Vodka neat," she drops her purse on the bar she takes the seat next to me.
No such luck.
"I guess I'm not exactly one to talk." Catharine continues, her voice taunting me.
"That's right, don't you and Elijah have some kind of, mutual back stabbing, slash sex fantasy thing going on? So why are you here talking to me?" I take a swig of my drink and glare at the wall.
"Right, because I'm incapable of real feelings."
"Pretty much, yeah."
"That's funny," she removes the lime from the side of her glass, swirling it around the rim aimlessly, "I seem to remember hearing the same thing about your little boy-toy not so long ago..." dropping the lime into her glass she takes a slow sip. Letting her words sink in; fester.
"Fine, if you're not going to go then—"
"What is it with you Caroline?" She cuts me off, turning her barstool towards me, pinning me with a look, piercing me with her evil stare.
"What?" I roll my eyes, beyond frustrated.
"There's something special about you." She brings her drink to her lips again, and then I try to slip away, she grabs my wrist, holding me there.
"I don't know what you're talking about." I shoot at her, my voice seething.
Looking down at my wrist, she moves her fingers, just enough to see the bracelet peeking out. The one Klaus gave me all those months ago for the ball. The one that magically reappeared on my wrist the first morning in this new town.
"Over the years, I've seen him do some unspeakable things. I've watched him tear out the hearts of men and women of all ages. I've seen him transform from this unsuspecting predator, into a monster so lethal he almost scares me." She lets go of my arm, small bruises where her fingers were quickly heal. "Almost."
I stare at her, my words caught in my throat. My heart aching as I remember Hannah's words again. That warning that I so blatantly ignored. His love will kill you.
"And yet," Katherine's words penetrate my thoughts, deflating me. "There's something about you, that makes the most powerful being on earth, want to act like an actual human being." Her tone is hard, cold like glass. A mixture of awe and arrogance lingers in her words.
Her words fall into my ears, my mind working on processing them.
"Well he doesn't like you," I set my glass down the a loud smack. "Aren't you a little bit scared he's going to show up, rip your head off right here?" I can't imagine it would surprise anyone. I try and tell myself that's not really what I want. Although if she keeps going the way she is...
"Oh I'm not worried," She scoffs, flicking her hand in the air, as if she hasn't a care in the world.
I raise an eyebrow at her, thinking maybe she's finally gone insane.
"And why is that?" My voice is high with curiosity and bemusement.
She takes a long swig of her drink before answering me.
"Well, you're boyfriend seems to have struck a little deal Elijah," Katherine's smug smile is unveiled and shining bright. "My protection, for yours." With a small shrug she empties the contents of her drink into her mouth and bites down on the lime, making a slight face.
I feel my brows knit together in my confusion.
The pieces of her obnoxious puzzle start to fall into place, and I look at her. She laughs a little at my baffled expression.
"Yep, seems like you're the most protected girl New Orleans."
"Then why do I feel so threatened?" I glare at her; the condensation from my drink dampens my finger tips with cool water. I'm thankful for the temperature change, as my palms burn hot.
"Oh please!" Katherine laughs out loud now, throwing her hands in the air. "Look around you Caroline! You're a pretty girl in the sketchiest part of downtown New Orleans, surrounded by disgusting vampire pigs who have done more unspeakable things than Hitler himself, and not one of them has dared give you even a second glance."
I quickly take a look around the room. It's true. Besides Adam's friendly flirting during our not so friendly game of quarters, No one has been less than civil towards me since I walked in here alone two hours ago.
"And do you know why?" Katherine leans towards me dramatically now.
I do.
"Because they know if they so much as laid a finger on you, Klaus would have their hearts on a plate." Her matter-of-fact tone sends chills through me. What might seem like a humorous exaggeration in the real world, in our world, vital organs being extracted from bodies is almost a daily event.
What world do I live in?
I open my mouth, not sure what I'm going to say. Defend Klaus, myself? Neither of which makes much sense in this moment. But I don't have the chance.
"She's right," A deep voice comes from my other side, and I whip around, a small amount of screwdriver spilling out of my glass with my sudden movement.
A man stands in front of me, his dark skin and clothes are flawless. A beanie is pulled over his head, he looks almost relaxed. I recognize him from my first night in New Orleans.
"Marcel." I breathe, staring at the man in front of me, still in shock from tonight's turn of events.
"I see Klaus has been talking about me." He chuckles, leaning against the bar casually.
"Not so much." I say curtly.
"Your friend's right you know," He gestures behind me.
"Oh, she's not my frie—" I turn back to Katherine, only to find an empty chair. I take a quick glance around, nowhere to be found.
"I've got to say, I've know Klaus a long time, and I've never seen him act around anyone, the way he acts around you."
"Ohmygod, why can't everyone just stop scrutinizing our relationship and just let me—"
"So that's what it is?"
My eyes narrow at him and I retract, standing from my seat, putting space between the two of us.
"You seem to take some serious interest in his every move, if I didn't know better I would think you were jealous," I quirk my eyebrow at him, and he breaks a small smile. Though it looks more like a bearing of teeth.
"I have some unfinished business with Niklaus."
"So he tells me. But I have to say I'm having a hard time swallowing that pill twice." Where is all this confidence coming from?
With only a seconds hesitation, he begins to explain, "Seems he's perfected the art of creating hybrids," Marcel folds his arms on the bar, leaning into the counter, "Though he seems to have abandoned the art. I just... Have a few questions."
"You mean you want to know how to do it so you can copy it?"
"Sharp girl."
"Valedictorian actually." I snap at him, causing him to chuckle again.
"What is it about you that makes him tick Caroline," His voice is no longer, relaxed, it's cool and menacing. Reminding me of Klaus's this morning. No life, all business. "Because as beautiful as you are, I can't seem to accept the fact that you are just that good in bed—"
I cut him off with an unexpected hiss that scrapes up my throat, through my teeth without warning.
That's when I catch sight of Klaus, standing against the wall, in the shadows. I didn't see him come in. Though I'm willing to take a guess and say it was around the same time Katherine fled. Not as fearless as she'd like people to believe...
I take a deep breath, realising how scared I really am under all this adrenaline pumping through my veins.
I carefully remove my purse from the back of my chair, tucking it on my shoulder and stepping up close to Marcel, too close for comfort.
"Well he's right over there." My voice is stiff and it shakes a little. I remove a few bills from my bag and drop them beside my half-full drink. "Why don't you go interrogate him like you did me? I'm sure that goes over well." I pause; he doesn't say anything, just stares down at me. "Scared he'll remove your lungs with a spoon?" I glance over his shoulder, catching a small smile playing with the corners of Klaus's mouth. Though his eyes remain deadly cold.
"I would be too." I brush past him, my hands shaking dangerously, and the room spins a little. I practically fall against Klaus; his hands grasp my waist, steadying me.
"Please, get me out of here."