Thank you everyone for the support. I am enjoying writing this story just as much as you are enjoying reading it. It is just so. much. fun.
Thank you Miranda, Becky and my Kate (aka Minion) for being my superb Betas, and giving me the confidence that I need to keep writing.
There is really no introduction to this chapter. I hope you love it as much as I do!
After rambling off a number of options for Elijah, he finally decided on a local pub that has fair food, and a decent atmosphere. Why they continue to subjugate themselves to his indecisiveness, they'll never know. However, it is a means to an end and helps with eliminating further remarks from him, when they just agree and go on with their night.
They file into the restaurant and the hostess seats them in a booth and hands them each a menu. Bonnie maneuvers around Rebekah to sit between her and Kol, Elijah takes a seat on Kol's other side.
"I'm starving," Kol says dramatically.
"Hey, is that Jeremy?" Bonnie asks and points toward the entrance where a tall, dark haired boy stands alone.
"Yeah, it is," Kol lifts his hand and hollers, "Jer? Hey!"
The boy smiles and walks slowly toward them. "Hey," he says casually and then catches Rebekah's eye, "Bekah...lookin' good," he flirts.
"Thanks Jeremy," she says sweetly. "You wanna join us?"
Jeremy has been a long time patron of the comic book shop. His knowledge of all things geek do not reflect his "loader" appearance though. Jeans, t-shirts, a black leather jacket and the all encompassing aroma of marijuana lingers with him. He's cute, however, and his laidback attitude gets him laid a substantial amount more than the other guys at the table.
He flashes Rebekah a boyish grin and says, "Actually, I'm here with my sister."
"I didn't know you had a sister." Actually they didn't know much about Jeremy besides his comic book collection and his WoW character, DeathbySilas.
"Yeah, we don't see each other much, not after she moved out a few years ago. We try to have dinner together every once in awhile." He turns to the front door, "there she is," he says and points. "Katherine! Over here!"
The table stares at the door in shock, as they see Catwoman saunter toward them.
"Katherine is your sister!?" Kol exclaims.
"Yeah," he says casually. "Wait, do you know her?"
"Know her?" Kol oozes, "I want to marry her!"
Bonnie rolls her eyes and shakes her head. Always thinking with his penis.
Elijah gulps, as he tries to keep his composure. She really is stunning.
"Oh God, don't tell me you know these idiots," Kat insults. "No offense, Rebekah," she says to the only 'normal' person at the table.
"It's alright, I agree...they're idiots," she laughs.
Kat's eyes glance down at Elijah who nods up at her. "Elijah," she says curtly.
Elijah clears his throat and asks, "Katherine, would you two care to join us?"
"Yeah," Jeremy says and scoots in next to Rebekah and throws an arm around her. He looks at her and waggles his eyebrows in a "hey there hotstuff" manner. She smirks and jabs him in the ribs.
Katherine stands there awkwardly. "Fine!" she says but throws a warning glare at Elijah, "But, if this ass doesn't keep his comments to himself, we're gonna have a problem."
"Katherine," Elijah suddenly stands and looks down at her. "It has come to my attention that perhaps my commentary during our last encounter may have...offended you," he says with a wave of his hand indifferently.
She stands there with her arms folded and looks at him warily before saying, "Go on."
"And that I may owe you...well," he trails off as though he can't quite put his finger on the word he needs to use. "It seems my abrasive commentary toward you...that is to say...I only meant it as..."
"I'm waaaaaiting," she sings and rocks back on her high heels.
Elijah purses his lips together, apologies have never come easy to the man who believes he is right in everything he does. But finally, he relents. "I owe you an apology," he says.
"And what apology would that be?" she toys with him and waits for the actual apology.
This girl is incorrigible, what more did she expect him to say? He lets out a huff but reluctantly continues. "If my comments about your sexual prowess came across as anything other than the compliment they were intended to be then," he takes a deep breath through his nostrils and hesitates a moment longer.
"Then?" She puts her hand to her ear and leans in toward him.
Incorrigible, he thinks again before offering the words he's uttered so rarely in his life, "I'm...sorry."
"There you go," she teases him. "That wasn't so hard, now was it?" She pats him on his lapel and smiles up at him.
Elijah looks down at her perfectly manicured hand; it's then he realizes that he is not completely resistant to the idea of her touching his...suit.
\-[0]-[0]-/
"You're wrong, Wolverine was not born with bone claws!"
"He was, dude, maybe that's not what they originally intended when he first appeared in the comics, but that's what he's evolved into." Jeremy counters.
"Yeah, they had to create a viable reason for his claws to have been implanted due to his rapid healing ability," Bonnie adds.
The debate has been going on for the better part of an hour now. Kol and Elijah believing that Wolverine was not born with bone claws, but the doctors implanted them during his adamantium transition, and Jeremy and Bonnie are set on the adamantium was grafted to the bones that were already there.
Kol is always surprised at how lucid Jeremy can be when he is stoned the majority of the time they talk. Although he's not sure how marijuana gives the guy so much clarity...he's still going to use it as a petty argument. "You're high."
"I am," Jeremy states matter a factly, "but I'm not wrong." Jeremy leans forward. "Wolverine: Origins, Issue two, it clearly says that he has retractable bone claws."
"Okay, let's just say you're right," Kol interjects. "Do you think the claws would've been just as strong without the adamantium? Do you think they would've even survived the treatment?" He ponders. "It seems to me like they would be more like fingernails...easily disposed of. Which in turn, would mean that the doctors would have to graft the adamantium claws on anyway."
"No!" Jeremy bellows back. "They're bone."
"This is ridiculous, the adamantium coating would have disintegrated his claws. Elijah, help me out," Kol beckons.
"Alright," Elijah says and straightens the silverware in front of him before he begins. "If Wolverine did indeed have claws before he received the adamantium procedure, than it is fair enough to say that they were more animal like than bone like...flimsy and frail. I believe Kol is right in believing that they would not have survived the transformation."
"You're wrong," a voice pipes up from the other end of the booth. "The claws are not made of keratin, like claws in the animal kingdom. They're made out of extremely dense bone. Even without their adamantium coating they can cut substances as durable as most metals, wood, and even some varieties of stone."
Silverware falls, wine is spewed and the conversation is halted as everyone turns to stare at Kat.
She looks up from her wine glass and notices the shocked expressions, "What?" she snaps at them.
"Katherine...do you read comic books?" Rebekah asks in complete shock.
She sets her glass down and rolls her eyes. "Yes, on occasion when we were kids and Jere Bear was sick or bored, I would read him a few comic books."
Kol clutches his chest and looks positively orgasmic. "Just when I thought you couldn't get any hotter..."
"It's really not a big deal," she shrugs and glances at Elijah, who is silent but his eyes are lit up like a child on Christmas morning.
"It kinda is," Kol laughs.
"No, it really isn't. Can we change the subject now?"
"Oh my God, Katherine," Kol throws both hands on the table, "You're a closet nerd!"
\-[0]-[0]-/
Unbelievable!
What a lying, stupid piece of shit!
How do I always end up dating these losers?
Well, she can at least say this for herself, she wasn't completely sideswiped by the bastard. She knew there was something fishy about him. Too perfect! They always are at the beginning. At least this time she had enough common sense to know it was coming.
Caroline is stomping down the street, her hand still stinging from the slap she gave Tyler. What an idiot. It's probably a good idea to not take your date to a restaurant in the town you live in...if you have a fucking wife!
Seriously?!
She's never been more embarrassed than she was tonight. Sitting down to enjoy another nice meal just to have some hot-headed brunette with a bitchy face come screaming into the restaurant. Just the memory of it makes her wish she could go back to Tyler and give him a matching slap across the other cheek.
She thought about calling Kat for a ride back to her car, but the restaurant isn't too far from her shop and she isn't sure she's ready for Kat's opinions so fresh after the incident. So instead, she takes time to cool down with a brisk walk on the quiet streets.
She rounds the corner to Main street, ready to get in her car and get home. If this night doesn't call for a pint of Ben & Jerry's than she doesn't know what does. However, before she reaches her car she notices that the light in Klaus' shop is still on.
That's strange? she thinks. It's well after 10pm, there's no reason why their shop should still be open. She walks over to the window and peers in just as Klaus is coming out from his office. He doesn't notice her at first and so she takes a moment to admire him from afar.
He's wearing another superhero t-shirt and the same faded jeans that she's grown accustomed to seeing him in. She admires how the shirt clings nicely to his fit body and his pants rest low on his hips. He stands at the counter and removes his glasses, running his hand down his face and stretches his arms over his head and yawns. The shirt rises just enough that she can see a bit of torso; lean and toned and...well...delicious, if she can use that word. She sighs, and her shoulders slump. If only he would have just asked her out before Tyler...
She's pining...she admits it. He's just so handsome and sweet and everything that that devil Tyler isn't.
She smiles before tapping gently on the door, it's better to have him think she just got there rather than have him turn to see her staring. He squints his eyes and looks over at her, clearly not able to see properly without his spectacles. His face lights up when he finally recognizes her and puts his glasses back on before taking three large steps to open the door.
"Caroline," he says with surprise. "What are you doing here?"
"I saw the light on..." she pauses. "I was just checking to see if everything was alright in here." It is a ridiculous excuse, but the first that came to mind so she just went with it.
"Oh," he looks around as though to make sure himself. The shop is still empty, nothing to see here. "Yep, everything's fine. Just me and the comic books."
Just me and the comic books? he mocks himself, try a little harder not to look like a complete nerd, would you Klaus!?
"Oh, okay," she pauses. "Well...I should get home...I guess," she bites her bottom lip and takes a few steps back. "I'll see you later."
He hesitates for a moment, still processing why she's there. "Caroline?" he stops her, not wanting her to leave so soon.
"Yes?" she says with relief. She's not ready to leave so soon either.
"How..." he begins, "how was your date?"
What? You don't care about fucking Tyler and his stupid motorcycle.
"It was-" she isn't sure what to tell him but decides on the truth. "It was awful!"
He wants to smile. He wants to grab her and kiss her and thank the gods that he hasn't missed his chance. Instead, he swallows and presses his lips together. He isn't sure if she's okay with this or completely devastated. "I'm sorry," he tells her.
"For what?"
For not asking you out. For not acting on every one of Tony Stark's prompts. For introducing them. The list goes on.
"He was an asshole. They tend to gravitate toward me," she muses.
Klaus ponders momentarily on what the bastard could have said or done to her to make her feel this way. He doesn't understand how anyone could hurt or upset the beautiful girl in front of him. "I still feel like this is my fault."
"It isn't."
"Well regardless...I hope you know that, if I would have known what Tyler was up to I...I wouldn't have let him hurt you."
She smiles warmly and sighs, "It's not your fault, Klaus. I just have a bad habit of picking the wrong guy." She takes a step toward him and tucks a strand of hair behind her ear and peers up at him. "I just can't seem to find a nice guy."
You! She's talking about you!
He adjusts his glasses and looks away from her gaze.
This is your chance, you idiot, he screams at himself.
Instead of heeding his own advice, he hesitates too long. It's enough for her to back away and once again the moment is ruined by his own self-consciousness. She lowers her head and takes another step back. "Well, I guess I should head home."
"Yeah."
"Okay then." Caroline turns around, positively riddled with embarrassment. That's two times tonight that she has left a situation feeling rejected and horrible about herself.
Klaus watches her leave and starts back into his shop, when he stops and turns back toward her. Is this how it's going to be then? Is he so unsure of what's going on between them that he's going to let her walk away for the umpteenth time? She's into him, he knows it, just take a chance.
Fuck it!
He races from the shop and to her side and grabs her by the elbow, spinning her around. She looks down at his hand on her and back up at him just in time to feel his lips press against her own.
The shy and quiet comic book shop owner is nowhere to be found, as his mouth devours hers. Her head is spinning, and she sinks deeper into the kiss, parting her lips and inviting his tongue to meet hers.
The question of what it would be like to hold her, to taste her, to completely lose control in her kiss is finally answered as they mingle together. He wraps his arm around her waist and runs his other through her hair, pulling her closer so their bodies fit perfectly.
Caroline moans into his mouth, as welcomed vibrations rumble through her body. She could get used to being kissed like this. Aggressive but soft as well, as he kisses her fiercely and holds her tightly, but uses his tongue to sweep gently across her lips.
Her eyes remain shut as he finally pulls away. He brings his mouth to hers one more time for a single peck. Her eyes flutter open to see him smiling down at her, and she can't help the bubble of laughter that flows out of her.
"About time, Superman!" she teases.
WOOOOOOOOOHOOOOOOOOO! Am I the only one that wanted this to happen when Klaus touched Caroline's elbow in the last episode? I did...so I wrote it. Ha.
I am available for all your questions on Tumblr at jomosfamilyjewels.
Let me know what you thought!
REVIEWS ARE LIKE THE LANTERN TO MY RING! THE SUN TO MY SUPERMAN! They regenerate me quickly and help me update!