Thanks darling Madina, great prompt (and so sorry for the delay). It became something so unexpected so the prompt kind of evolved hehe. I was watching one of my fave Shakespearian film adaptions recently, so this modern spin is where the inspiration came from. Also because Beatrice and Benedick ARE Klaroline ( you know, just saying)! Also it is a bit of a different take on Klaus for once but I hope you like this still : )

Prompt - Klaroline + I don't need some Prince Charming Saving Me

Much Ado About Nothing

"Klaus Mikaelson doesn't even need to act," Katherine observed from the wings. She and Caroline were watching him and his younger brother Kol, who was playing Katherine's love interest Claudio, rehearse centre stage. "He is Benedick."

"Yeah, you've got that right. An arrogant and smug know-it-all," Caroline muttered. "I can't believe I have to kiss him, I mean who knows where those lips have been before? I might even need to sanitise my mouth afterwards."

Klaus had quite the reputation in theatre circles as a ladies man and from all reports it was fairly common for his on-stage romances to carry over off-stage. But only for the duration of the production because after that he apparently moved onto his next project and next unwitting co-star. Caroline knew for a fact that she had no interest in being his latest victim.

"Well, I had to kiss his brother in rehearsal yesterday."

"And?"

"It was okay, I suppose," she offered indifferently, her eyes flickering to the front row of the theatre where the show's director sat keeping a watchful eye over proceedings. While extremely handsome, Caroline had noticed just how brooding he was given the deep set frown he wore most of the time during rehearsals.

"But not an Elijah Mikaelson kind of kiss," Caroline teased. The chemistry between the reverred director and Katherine, who was playing Hero, had been palpable to say the least.

"He's far too serious for me," she murmured, although her gaze remained unflinching.

"Yes, because that seems to be such an issue," Caroline joked. "I can practically see the drool, Pierce."

"Funny roomie," Katherine drawled.

They'd been best friends for as long as Caroline could remember and it was comforting to have someone in the same field who always had your back, especially when you moved to a foreign and big city like London. For the most part she liked it, not only because it was a vibrant and intriguing city with plenty to do but because she felt a lot more immersed in her role being there.

It was unusual to cast Americans for such classic Shakespearian roles but Katherine and Caroline were highly skilled actresses and had impressed Elijah Mikaelson during the audition. Something she'd been told wasn't such an easy feat.

What she hadn't expected was just how frustrating her co-star would be. She'd heard the stories about Klaus Mikaelson, everyone had, but Caroline liked to give people the benefit of the doubt given just how misleading the media could be when it came to celebrity gossip.

Klaus however had proven to be just as insufferable as she'd expected. She would have complained but it was kind of difficult when one brother was the director of the production and the other one playing a leading role.

When she'd met Klaus at the initial table read a few weeks earlier, he'd been equal parts frustrating and arrogant. He may of been an outstanding actor, that much she couldn't dispute, but he didn't have to act like he knew it in front of the entire cast. Caroline knew types just like him and the thought of having to co-star in such close proximity was going to be a struggle.

After rehearsals a few days later, Klaus had propositioned her and then, after she rejected his blatant advances, he'd proceeded to ignore her. Not only was he conceited, he was also a man child in her view.

Caroline had subsequently made the decision to act professionally on stage and then hopefully never cross paths with Klaus Mikaelson ever again. Unfortunately she had to get through another two weeks of rehearsals and a three month season on the West End before she could put any miles between them.

The only upside she'd decided was being able to look at his pretty face for extended periods. He may of been an ass but there was no doubting his extremely good looks.

"You can't lie to me Pierce, I know you too well," Caroline replied.

"Says the girl who supposedly doesn't want to kiss Klaus Mikaleson," she sing songed, nudging her in the ribs teasingly.

"Who wants to kiss me?" A very familiar and annoying voice enquired behind them. She gave Katherine a brief dirty look and then closed her eyes momentarily, trying to come up with a sassy response. There was no way she was going to inflate his oversized ego any further. "I know I'm irresistible but.."

"Nobody," she shot back, thinking just how lame it sounded. She spun around on her heel to face him defiantly, there was no way Klaus Mikaelson was going to intimidate her. "Unfortunately I have to do it though. Luckily I'm getting some form of monetary compensation for that particularly unpleasant task."

"Don't worry, I'll try to make it as least unpleasant as possible for you, princess," he quipped moving dangerously closer, those annoying dimples appearing from nowhere and flashing in her direction. Caroline only hoped that her cheeks weren't as flushed as they felt at that particular moment.

"Listen up everyone," Elijah called out from front of stage. Caroline was relieved for the interruption at that particular moment. Especially given he was standing entirely too close and his aftershave was messing with her concentration. "I want to practice the Benedick and Beatrice scene in Act 5 scene 2 after the break." Caroline knew what that meant, the kiss she'd been dreading for weeks.

"I think he heard your desperate cries for that kissing scene," Klaus smirked, his hot breath tickling her earlobe. She reached up attempting to swat him out of her personal space, making connection with his cheek. "How did you know I liked it rough?" Caroline didn't respond, just pushed past him towards backstage. She needed a drink to steady her nerves, she just wished it was straight vodka and not water.

15 minutes later

Klaus was nervous, that much was obvious given the way he was pacing back and forth in his dressing room. He looked up at the wall clock wearily, knowing that he was due on stage already. Before he knew it Elijah would be bleating at him incessantly like when they were children.

Having his brother as director had definitely been an adjustment, so too Kol as his co-star. The media had joked in interviews in the lead-up that it was a family affair and Klaus had to hold his tongue before he shared his real thoughts on the matter. It wasn't that he didn't like his siblings but preferred their contact to be in much smaller doses. He was just happy that Rebekah hadn't joined this project in her costume designing capacity given she was busy on another project in the States. Klaus could only take so much Mikaelson blood in his vicinity.

What he hadn't expected was to meet Caroline Forbes. Sure, he'd heard about her impressive talents during the audition process but he hadn't quite expected to almost lose his voice upon meeting her at the table read. She was even more stunning in person with those faultless, golden waves and creamy complexion. Then he'd heard her melodic laugh and Klaus wasn't quite sure what to do. His pathetic response had been to put on an overly inflated and arrogant persona that Klaus liked to call his Mr Hyde impression.

Nobody knew it but Klaus had unpredictable, anxious tendencies (he liked to blame his parent's dysfunctional marriage) which is why he'd taken up a career in acting. What better way to hide them than pretend to be someone completely different?

It had worked for him thus far but Caroline's sudden appearance had thrown him and his pretend playboy act into disarray and now seemed to have escalated out of control. First on the table read then his attempt to ask her out which had fallen flat. Klaus really shouldn't have been surprised. He hated that character as much as it seemed Caroline did.

After his first college production the rumours had travelled thick and fast that he was some womaniser. The true story was that Hayley Marshall didn't appreciate rejection and decided to make up her own story depicting him as some heartless romeo. Rather than address the rumours he'd chosen to embrace it. Klaus figured if women thought he was such a player then that meant he didn't need to bother getting hurt.

"Niklaus!" Elijah baulked, coming to the door and banging his hand against the frame. "We're waiting, Your Majesty." Klaus had to resist the urge to roll his eyes, let the incessant bleating begin.

"I need a minute," he murmured softly.

"You've had multiple minutes," he warned. "I've never known you to turn down a kissing scene, little brother." He'd managed to even fool his own family it seemed. It was at that point Klaus decided he deserved a bloody Toni Award.

"I'm not feeling the best," he uttered, feigning sickness. It was the one line he knew would work given Elijah's deep aversion to germs. Klaus coughed, hoping that his act would convince his brother to call off rehearsal. Elijah considered him gravely before moving backwards and Klaus knew he had him.

"Well, in that case," he muttered, retreating even further. "We'll pick this up in the morning." Klaus definitely deserved the 'fooling your own sibling' award, that was for sure. He was gone before Klaus could reply or add another fake cough for effect.

He momentarily wondered what Caroline would think about his sudden disappearance but for some reason he was just pleased he didn't need to face her today. As pathetic as it sounded, Klaus was scared of what kissing those pink lips would mean. It had been so easy to fake with others until she turned up in his life unexpectedly. So beautiful, brash and intelligent and Klaus had no idea how to handle her.

45 minutes later

Caroline was annoyed. She'd psyched herself up for their possible kissing scene earlier and Klaus had been a no-show. She should have been relieved but for some reason she felt rejected, not surprising when it came to him. Apparently he was sick but there was no doubt Klaus was playing games with her.

She'd headed down to the costume department shortly afterwards. One of her dresses had accidentally torn during the last scene and she needed trusty Ruth and her sewing machine to fix it before final dress rehearsal.

Caroline knocked on the door but there was no answer so she pushed it open slowly. The darkness enveloping Caroline telling her that everyone had gone home for the day after Klaus' premature departure no doubt. She decided to remove the dress there and put one of the white robes nearby to return to her dressing room. After she'd come all this way she figured it was probably best given how soon they were due to open.

Caroline grabbed the hem of her dress and pulled it upwards, she felt the light fabric inch over her warm skin from her thighs and over her abdomen softly. It wasn't until she tried to ease it over her head that Caroline realised she was stuck. The dress wasn't going any further and she was standing there unsure of what to do next to dislodge the material from her underwear clad body.

She inhaled slowly, feeling her claustrophobic tendencies returning with a vengeance. What the hell was she supposed to do now? It wasn't like anyone could help her and she was growing increasingly worried about being found dead with her white dress strangling her body and cutting off all possible oxygen. If that wasn't a visual to make you anxious she didn't know what was.

Caroline heard a slight rustling from the corner of the room and froze. Were there mice in here and she didn't know about it? Vermin and small spaces were definitely in her top five fears. She was just wondering which was going to be next. Spiders, snakes or birds. She continued in her pose, wondering if she could locate some scissors and cut this thing off her, even just to escape the mice.

"Hello? Who's there?" She paused thinking that he was the worst person to find her in this precarious position.

"It's just me."

"I thought you were a mouse or worse a bird," she squeaked, silently relieved. If all else failed, Caroline figured you should try to distract said sexy but arrogant actor with a serious personality problem.

"Not so white and furry, plus I don't like cheese," he offered. She had to fight the urge to smile even in her current and awkward state.

"That's blasphemous," she chided. "Don't ever say that if you try to cross the border into France."

"They don't like us English much anyway, so no great loss," he quipped. Caroline was surprised to hear him being so easy going and friendly after their previous encounters. "As much as I'd like to ignore the elephant in the room, do you need some help, love?" Suddenly she felt their fragile relationship going back to where they started off. Bastard.

"I bet you'd love that," she hissed, trying to remember to breathe through her growing anger. "I don't need some 'pretend' prince charming trying to save me. What are you doing here anyway, Mikaelson? Spying on me?"

He didn't speak for a while, Caroline would have guesses in her current predicament at least forty seconds, she could hear his increasing and ragged breathing from this vantage point though. She wasn't quite sure how to take that silence, especially partially dressed. As much as she wanted to beg for help it wasn't in Caroline's make-up to show weakness.

"I was resting actually. A room full of costumes and no one else kind of relaxes me." Caroline wasn't quite sure how to take it but his sincere tone was telling her she may of misjudged him initially.

"Do you like try them on or something?" She asked, against her better judgment.

"No," he chuckled softly. "I just kind of sit here in silence."

"Seriously? Are you playing with me again?"

"Surprisingly no," he conceded. Caroline couldn't miss his sincerity yet again.

"Am I on Punk'd or something?"

"Well, if you are," he offered. "Might I suggest you get that dress off and stop flashing your underwear sooner rather than later." Caroline had to admit, he did have a point. She'd kind of forgotten her bare predicament in all of their banter.

"You tell anyone about this and I kill you," she threatened.

"Noted."

Before she knew it, Caroline could feel his hands sliding over her abdomen and brushing the skin on her arms softly.

Caroline shuddered involuntarily thinking this was obviously his ploy to get women into his bed. She made a mental note to reject him as soon as this dress wasn't strangling her. It took all of five second for the material to loosen and her sight was restored. Unfortunately it was restored straight into his dark, blue eyes that were watching her intently. If she wasn't pretty much naked Caroline knew she could have stayed there with him like that.

She eventually managed to avert her eyes, finding a stray robe hanging nearby. Caroline threw it on, knowing that as soon as she was clothed the weird tension would hopefully dissipate. Unfortunately it didn't, their gaze still unwavering. Suddenly all the insults and quips weren't enough to save Caroline and she had no idea why.

30 seconds later

She was beautiful. Klaus knew that without having to witness her partially dressed in the costume department. He'd been surprised to hear a slight knocking and then see Caroline enter, attempting to take off her dress for some reason.

Klaus had tried to look away, his eyes immediately averted. The one thing he respected was privacy and the fact she didn't know he was sitting there wouldn't bode well. It wasn't until she got stuck that Klaus knew he needed to intervene but how exactly?

He'd managed to find his voice, although it was difficult given her stunning form in such close proximity. He'd been surprisingly playful until she dressed herself and then things became awkward, their eyes unflinching.

"I should get going," he barely managed.

"What? No smart and untoward sexually charged remark?" Klaus immediately felt bad. He'd been so busy playing a foreign role to repel her that he'd forgotten how to be the guy he actually was. Suddenly, Klaus knew he didn't deserve anyone's sympathy after his behaviour.

"I'm so sorry," he admitted. "I have a tendency to act like a jerk because it's easier than being myself." He noticed her face softening slightly.

"So, if you don't mind me asking, what's wrong with yourself exactly?"

"That's an extremely long story," he smiled, knowingly.

"So how about you tell me about it, over dinner. You know when I'm properly dressed," she offered. "And just so you know, I have no intention of putting out, Mikaelson."

"Are you at least going to tell me about the bird phobia?" He teased.

"Funnily enough, that's an extremely long story too. It involves a mean pelican and my seventh birthday party cake"

The tabloids were feverish with the news that leading theatre couple Klaus Mikaelson and Caroline Forbes had cemented their onstage relationship off stage a few months later.

Caroline and Klaus didn't care what the rumoured reporting was because they knew what they shared was the real thing unlike everything else that had come before it.