For Abor Day in the lovely US of A (even though I know nothing but it's about trees hehe and i did omit the u i so wanted to add in arbor). Flame trees are actually native to Australia but whatevs - this is my drabble. As usual my smut kind of took a back seat to the story but there is a little something in there for you : ) Also this is named after an awesome Australian song, the Sarah Blasko version is awesome.
Flame Trees
"Oh the flame trees will blind the weary driver. And there's nothing else could set fire to this town. There's no change, there's no pace, Everything within it's place. Just makes it harder to believe that she won't be around."
Klaus insisted he would never set foot back in Mystic Falls after graduation and he'd been successful so far. After completing both his law degree and MBA at Harvard he'd been on track to do just that until his father had to go and die. Mikael Mikaelson always was a selfish bastard. He'd contemplated not returning for the funeral but Elijah had decided they suddenly needed to play happy families even though they all felt the same way about their father.
Mikael was a vindictive bully who made it his main aim in life to terrorise his four children even more so after their mother passed away when Klaus was only eight. He remembered the day of her funeral still so vividly.
17 years earlier...
Mikael had told him to stop blubbering like a baby and act like a real man. He'd escaped as soon as possible making his way along their long, winding driveway and down the street not sure where he was going but determined to put as much space between himself and that house full of bad memories.
Klaus loosened his tie and pulled it off roughly likening it to a tight noose around his neck but Mikael insisted he wore it because it was all about appearances after all. The Mikaelsons were one of the richest families in Mystic Falls and as such had a reputation to maintain. If only they knew what went on behind closed doors. Klaus looked up realising that he'd been so lost in his thoughts he'd wandered into the woods.
He found himself distracted by a particularly bright tree with an abundance of brilliant, scarlet flowers. Unlike most trees that stood tall, its branches drooped over, creating an umbrella effect. If there was anything Klaus wanted it was to hide and he found himself standing beneath it taking deep breaths to calm himself. He grabbed onto one of the lower branches and lifted himself up so he was sitting in the tree. It was the most at peace he'd felt all day.
"What do you think you're doing?" He looked down curiously at the familiar, curly haired blonde with blazing, blue eyes.
"I thought that was obvious," he growled. Klaus really wasn't in the mood and Caroline Forbes was the kind of company he didn't need especially on today of all days.
"You're sitting in my tree," she insisted, her hands now on her hips.
"You don't own it," he scoffed.
"Yes, I do," she drawled, pointing to her initials engraved on the trunk.
"Just because you put your initials on it doesn't mean it's yours," he argued. Klaus wasn't one to back down from a fight especially with Caroline Forbes of all people. She was a year below him at school but he'd never spoken to her. He certainly didn't regret that decision at all now. "Just leave me alone, I'm not in the mood today."
"Because of your mom?" He raised his eyebrows in her direction, given how small the town was Klaus shouldn't have been surprised.
"I don't want to talk about her," he murmured, trying not to descend into that blubbering baby his father had accused him of being earlier. Not to be deterred, Caroline took hold of a nearby branch and swung up into the tree beside him. "You don't climb so badly, you know for a girl."
"I've also got a pretty good right hook that could knock you out of this tree, Mikaelson," she shot back. That was the first time he'd actually smiled in a while and Klaus remembered just how good it felt.
Caroline would make him smile a lot more over the next ten years. It was an unspoken arrangement that they'd meet at the tree from then onwards. At first they'd just sit in silence, Klaus didn't want to talk and Caroline respected that. For some reason it made him feel better just sitting beside her. Then one day they spoke a little, Klaus joked later that he was surprised she could keep quiet for that long.
Their meetings would graduate from talking about school to more personal subjects like family and even respective love interests. Klaus remembered teasing her mercilessly about her crush on the brooding, hair obsessed Stefan Salvatore in Sophomore Year and she got her revenge by doing the same about boring Camille O'Connell in Junior Year. But it was Caroline he took to his Senior Prom, she was the obvious choice to him. The only choice.
He could still remember just how beautiful she looked in that strapless gown, the exact colour of the flowers on her tree. In all those years Caroline still refused to share ownership rights. Her argument of 'finders keepers' was beginning to get really old. The prom like most school events wasn't of any interest to Klaus but he knew just how much Caroline wanted to go. After the formalities ended they found themselves at the tree.
"You're not going to climb up there in that?" Klaus baulked, gesturing to her dress.
"Of course I am," she growled. If there was anything Caroline hated it was someone telling her what to do. "Just don't tell the sheriff because she paid a lot of money for this."
He'd been struggling all night. Klaus knew he loved Caroline, he was pretty certain he had since the day of his mother's funeral. But he was scared. Scared that she might not feel the same way and he'd end up ruining the one good thing in his life, their friendship. Plus, he was leaving for Harvard in a few months and she would be doing her senior year in Mystic Falls. It would never work.
"Hello?" She interrupted his thoughts. Although the full moon was bright that evening, he could barely make out her figure, it probably didn't help that her dress was lost in the flowers, like camouflage. "Get your ass up here, Mikaelson."
"Geez, bossy much? I'm coming," he replied, taking his usual place next to her. "I'm surprised this tree is still standing given our weight gain over the years."
"Speak for yourself, fatty," she teased, pushing him playfully in the arm. "Thank you for taking me tonight, I know how much you hate stuff like that."
"Well, it was pretty difficult not to with all those hints you've been shamelessly making the past few years," he joked, earning a dirty look from his blonde, best friend. "The things I do for you, Forbes."
"In honour of this auspicious occasion tonight, I thought I should do something for you in return."
"Oh? I'm almost too afraid to ask." She pulled something from her bag and placed it gently in his palm. Klaus looked at it curiously. "Is this some kind of weird blood brother/sister type pact?"
"You know how queasy I get at the sight of blood," she scowled.
"So, why exactly are you giving me a pocket knife?"
"I thought it was about time I gave you joint ownership rights to this tree."
"Its only taken you ten years," he quipped.
"Stop giving me grief or I'm taking back my offer," she threatened. Klaus was tempted to argue but he knew just how much this tree meant to her and the fact she was willing to share was promising.
"Okay, let's do this," he smiled, reaching out for her hand and jumping down together. "You really trust my carving skills?"
"Not really, but I did mine so I think it's important you do yours," she said. Klaus flipped open the knife and sat on the ground, busying himself with carving his initials below hers. Given the lack of lighting he hoped it would be legible in the daylight.
"So, what do you think?" He asked, craning his neck to look up at Caroline.
"Not bad," she murmured. "How do you feel as the proud new owner of your very own tree?" Klaus stood up and faced her, brushing off the dirt and bark from his pants as he did it.
"It feels pretty good, even if it did take ten years," he grinned thinking how it wasn't just about the tree, it was about them. Klaus leaned forward instinctively fastening a stray blonde lock behind her ear. "Did I tell you how beautiful you look tonight?"
"I don't think telling me earlier that I 'didn't scrub up too badly' counts," she drawled.
"I've barely been able to breathe you're that beautiful," he murmured, his blue eyes fixed on hers.
"You look pretty handsome yourself," Caroline mumbled. "Although your tie is missing just like the day I met you here."
"I never was a fan of ties." Klaus moved closer, placing his forehead against hers, his eyes never leaving hers. He was so torn about what to do and it seemed by her hesitation that she felt the same way. "I'm so glad I ran into you that day, even if you did try to evict me from the tree."
"I should have pushed you off that branch after that 'not bad for a girl' remark but I figured you were having a pretty bad day already so thought I'd go easy on you."
"Caroline..." Klaus rasped.
"We can't do this, Klaus."
"So, why does it feel so right?
"We're friends and you're going to college soon. I know how much you hate this town and can't wait to get away from Mikael. You've been wanting to leave ever since I've known you. Staying here for Senior Year, I would just be another reminder of all that."
"Just because I want to leave Mystic Falls doesn't mean I want to leave you."
"I know but it would never work, Klaus," she said reading his thoughts from before. She pulled back and ran her hands through his curls affectionately. "I don't ever want to lose you or your friendship, it means too much to me." Klaus knew she was right but he couldn't ignore the empty feeling this decision had left.
They'd seen each other over the summer but it wasn't like before. The sexual tension only grew thicker and it became easier to spend less time together. Funnily enough their decision to remain friends only pulled them further apart.
They'd written each other when he got to Boston but after a year their communication dried up completely. Klaus blamed it on the fact that he was busy at Harvard and Caroline had moved to Stanford for college on the other side of the country. He enjoyed his time at Harvard, it was freeing to be away from Mikael and his stifling, family obligations. But he missed Caroline terribly and decided that he never wanted to return to Mystic Falls because the memories of losing her would be too great to bear.
Present Day
Klaus watched as the familiar scenery rushed past the windscreen, the 'welcome to Mystic Falls,' sign looming in the distance. He'd agreed to come for the funeral but he'd told Elijah that was it. Klaus loosened his tie and pulled it over his head thinking about how much he hated wearing them. Damn his father for getting the last laugh. He briefly wondered who would be there, if his father had any friends left. From all reports he'd become a recluse the last few years barely leaving the house. With all his children gone Mikael was probably struggling because he didn't have anyone to take his anger out on anymore.
Klaus had stayed in touch with his siblings over the years. If there was one thing that brought them together it was their upbringing with Mikael. Kol was studying at Oxford in England, Rebekah was an up and coming fashion designer in Los Angeles and Elijah a stockbroker on Wall Street. After finishing top of his class, Klaus had been offered a position at one of the top, private law firms in New York so it seemed like he would be seeing a lot more of his older brother after all these years apart.
Klaus checked the time, realising he was early and the last thing he wanted to do was spend any longer than necessary at his father's house with all those memories. He turned off the main road and towards the woods. He promised himself he wouldn't do this. He wouldn't entertain any of those memories either but he was desperate to see their initials together once again.
The woods were still the same, although a little more overgrown than when he was eighteen. You still couldn't miss their tree, it was springtime so was at full bloom, those scarlet flowers he knew so well covering the branches. Klaus closed his eyes momentarily feeling like it was eight years earlier and he was going to meet Caroline like the old days. But as he opened them again Klaus knew it wasn't the old days. They were far behind him. Caroline was too and his wounds were still so raw.
There'd been other girls but no one that meant anything to him. He'd tried to get over her but a stray memory would somehow penetrate the barrier he'd created to forget her and Klaus would realise just how much he missed her. She'd saved him from such a dark place and Klaus knew life would never be the same way without her light.
"Still rocking that no tie look I see," a familiar, melodic voice teased, parting the branches and regarding him curiously from between them. Klaus didn't think she could get any more beautiful but here she was in the flesh looking more stunning than ever. Her black dress was fitted to the knee, her blonde hair pulled back, exposing her creamy neck. A pair of pear studs were the only accessories she wore. His chest constricted at her sudden reappearance, he thought she was breathtaking at prom he wasn't sure exactly what he was feeling now.
"I guess I never got the hang of it," he shrugged his shoulders, too emotionally overcome to say much else.
"I heard about Mikael."
"I don't really want to talk about him," he bit out, thinking just how familiar this scene was. "I thought I might climb our tree, I assume I still have part ownership after all these years?"
"Well, your initials are still there so I think you're safe." He joined her underneath the beautiful, scarlet umbrella of the tree, taking a few much needed breaths. He remembered doing that all those years ago but Klaus knew there was a completely different reason to try to calm himself now.
"I can't believe you're here."
"I figured you could use some support and turns out I've really missed you, uh probably more than you'll ever know, Klaus."
"Oh, trust me I know the feeling," Klaus replied, running his hands through her hair and pulling her toward him gently. "I never stopped loving you, Caroline. If I could take back that stupid decision we made prom night I would and..."
"It doesn't matter anymore," she interrupted. "We're back here now, that's the most important thing, right?" Klaus didn't bother responding, leaning forward and capturing her lips greedily. He'd always wondered what she'd taste like and he couldn't help but lose himself in the heady mixture of mint and strawberry lipgloss.
His hands roamed across her back, pulling her flush against his body as he continued to massage her lips, his tongue revelling in the warmth of her mouth. She groaned against him only spurring him on further, his burgeoning arousal straining against his pants desperate for release. After all these years of pent up tension Klaus wouldn't have been able to stop himself now if he tried.
His body was on autopilot, Klaus finding her zipper and pulling it downwards desperate to leave his mark on every bare inch of creamy skin. He pushed the material from her shoulders effortlessly, letting it puddle on the ground around her ankles leaving her in only a black lacy bra and matching panties. Klaus couldn't believe he was seeing her like this for the first time but he'd never doubted just how beautiful she'd be if and when he did.
Caroline pulled away, biting her lip shyly as he drank in her curves. She always did that when she was nervous but it didn't last long as she attacked him greedily, working quickly to remove his clothes too, unbuttoning his pants and pulling them down in one swift move, obviously just as desperate to feel his skin against hers. They were panting now between kisses, never losing contact for more than a second with their mouths as she pulled off his shirt, breaking a few buttons in her haste.
Caroline dipped her head lower, placing butterfly kisses along the length of his bare chest. Klaus rolled his head back his skin feeling as if it was on fire with each and every caress. He moaned, closing his eyes and letting the sensations take over. He'd been waiting for this moment for so long and he wanted to lose himself completely in Caroline. There was one niggling thought he couldn't contain though and Klaus pushed her away, albeit reluctantly. She looked up at him, her hurt expression evident.
"We can't do it like this." He managed to get out, his speech strained from the activity.
"I'm pretty sure this is the only way to do this unless I got taught the wrong version of the birds and the bees," she puffed in disbelief.
"I mean this is our first time together, it should be special, especially for you, love."
"You can't get any more special than under our tree Mikaelson," she grinned knowingly. "This is where our story began. I couldn't think of a better place to share our first time together, plus I kind of have this fettish for outdoor sex." Klaus didn't need anymore encouragement his cock stirring approvingly for future, possible outdoor escapades as he unhooked her bra and watching with delight as her creamy breasts sprang free. His briefs and her panties were gone in an instant.
Klaus picked her up, Caroline's legs weaving their way around his waist as he pushed her against the trunk, their initials carved just below them. He set to work on her nipples first, tugging on one while he tweaked the other between his thumb and forefinger. She gasped, her fingernails digging into his back as she let the sensations take over her body. Klaus knew he wouldn't last given just how long he'd waited for this moment and just how much he wanted to be with her.
His hand found its way to her already wet centre, placing his fingers inside and massaging her silky folds. "I'm not sure how long I can last if you keep doing that," she moaned, thrusting herself erratically against his fingers. Klaus knew the feeling, his cock was throbbing in anticipation of being inside her. He decided he couldn't wait, entering her inch by inch and relishing in the tightness of her as he did.
They were both groaning now as Klaus picked up the pace, thrusting back and forth, his mouth desperately covering hers and kissing her hungrily as they moved in unison while building towards climax. Klaus wasn't quite sure who came first given he was in such a mind blowing daze but as he exploded inside her Klaus knew their first time was everything he'd imagined and so much more. Caroline shuddered in his grasp, her head rested against the tree as she attempted to regained at least some of her composure.
Klaus leaned forward placing a chaste kiss on her lips, unable to wipe the grin off his face. She opened one eye, regarding him curiously. "I'm not sure you should be grinning like that on today of all days."
"I think I've earned it, love," he smiled, dropping another kiss on her nose. "Although I suppose we probably should get going." He placed her back on the ground, noticing her stumble slightly on wobbly legs. They changed quickly, Klaus decidedly upset to see her so covered. He figured it wouldn't be for too long though.
"There's one thing we need to do before we leave though," she smiled, pulling out a familiar pocket knife from her bag.
"You carry that thing around with you?"
"I figured I might need it walking around the streets of New York at night."
"New York?"
"I just took a job at an engineering firm there. Why?"
"I think you and I have a lot of catching up to do, love." Maybe things between them would finally work out and Klaus couldn't have been happier. He took the knife from her and walked towards their initials knowing exactly what he had to do.
12 years later...
"I can't believe you have your own tree!" He exclaimed, running excitedly towards it. Klaus watched as his seven year-old son Jacob inspected the trunk obviously figuring out the best way to climb it given his short stature.
"It's so pretty, mommy," five year-old Lara cooed, holding onto Caroline's hand. "Can I climb it too?"
"You're a bit little to do it yourself but how about you get daddy to help you," she smiled rubbing her spare hand on her protruding baby bump. She was due in four months and Klaus couldn't have been happier. His family meant the world to him and having another member on the way was exciting. Klaus picked up his little girl and walked towards the tree so she could touch the brightly coloured flowers.
"What's that dad?" Jacob asked, pointing to their initials encircled by a love heart.
"This is how your mother and I met," he grinned, thinking back to that day almost twenty-years ago.
"Can you tell us the story?" Lara asked. Klaus had always hated Mystic Falls growing up but after coming back all those years ago and reconnecting with Caroline he couldn't think of a better place to take his kids because after all it was where their story began, right under this very tree.
"How about we climb this thing and I'll tell you all about it."