"Are you following me?" Matt asked as he held out a tray with drinks to the guests.
"Yeah." Tyler replied simply while taking another glass from the tray. Matt wanted to slap his hand away. This was Tyler's fifth glass of champagne. "You're the only waiter here that won't deny me a drink."
"There's a reason for that. Your mom doesn't want you to get drunk. Shouldn't you be welcoming the guests?" Matt asked as they walked back to the bar.
"Nah, my parents got it covered, I'll just hang out with my friend and have fun." Tyler said while he tried to lose his tie a little bit.
"Your friend has to work, and you're making it harder." Matt said accusatory.
"Come on, man! These parties are so boring." Tyler whined, making Matt open his eyes widely and look around to make sure no one heard him.
"Are you insane? You can't say something like that. You're the hosts' son!" Tyler rolled his eyes. "If it helps, I think it's about to get a lot more interesting." Matt mumbled while looking over Tyler's shoulder. When Tyler turned around his eyes fell upon a beautiful creature.
Caroline Forbes looked stunning in her long gown with her hair pinned up. Her eyelashes looked like they were a mile long as well as her legs. Tyler couldn't remember the last time she looked liked that. Even before her mother's death took a toll on her, she never dressed like that. Back then she was a girl, now she was a woman.
And what a woman!
But it was then when he saw a tall, blonde man in an expensive suit standing beside her. His hand sneaked around her waist and she tilted her head on his shoulder.
.
"Yes, I'm sure we'll have time to talk about it later. Please, enjoy the food and drinks." Richard Lockwood said to one of his guests as he welcomed him into his house.
The next in line? Caroline Forbes.
At first Richard didn't recognize her, although she looked very familiar. It was a good thing that his wife stood next to him and welcomed her.
"Caroline, you made it." Carol said. Caroline smiled and nodded.
"I wouldn't miss it for the world."
Richard realized then why she looked so familiar. He took her hand and smiled.
"You look more and more like your mother each passing day." He said, earning her a gentle smile from her.
Caroline then signaled to the man standing next to her.
"Mister and Mrs. Lockwood, this is Klaus Mikaelson, my boyfriend. Klaus, these are Richard and Carol Lockwood." She said politely as she introduced them.
"Pleasure to meet you both. You have a beautiful home."
God exists. Caroline got the living proof when she saw Carol opening her eyes widely at Klaus, clearly stunned by his good looks and delightful accent.
"That's very kind of you." Richard replied while shaking Klaus' hand. "Mikaelson, you said? Any relation to Mikaelson and Sons?" He asked curiously.
"Why, yes. I'm one of the partners. You met my father years ago, when we financiered the dam and energy plant."
"I didn't know the company was related to the dam." Caroline said surprised.
"It was years ago, love." Klaus replied with a shrug.
"You got yourself a keeper here, Caroline." Richard commented, and Caroline saw the way Carol looked away uncomfortable, mad at her husband for accidentally insulting his own son.
Klaus smirked and ran his hand up Caroline's back lovingly.
"Believe me, I'm the lucky one here." He commented.
"Please, come on in and enjoy the evening." Richard said while signaling the party.
Caroline smiled and pulled Klaus towards the living room. In less than two seconds Elena appeared dragging Liam by his hand.
"Care! Hi! Oh, wow! Look at you, you look amazing!" She greeted her friend with a hug.
"I know, I look 'Grace Princess of Monaco' hot." Caroline said joking. "You look great too."
"And you must be Klaus!" Elena said looking over Caroline's shoulder.
"Has Caroline been talking about me?" Klaus asked feigning surprise.
"Talking, showing pictures, everything!" Elena replied.
"Oh boy, I'm in trouble." He joked.
"Here! Here!" Matt said as he approached the group while holding a tray, Tyler hot on his heels. Everyone took a glass of champagne and Caroline did the proper introductions.
"Mmm, is this Perrier Jouet?" Klaus asked to Matt after one sip. The young waiter looked at him surprised and nodded his head.
"Yeah, it is." He replied. Everyone in the little group, even Caroline, turned to look at Klaus stunned as he took another sip. "How did you know?"
"It is sweeter than other brands and types, plus it has a pear like after taste. It's good quality, even though it costs a very affordable price, which makes it perfect for early evening events like this." He explained with an air of superiority before turning to Caroline. "Is the same we served during the New Year party, and you can imagine I had good reasons that night to never forget the taste." He added with a smirk.
Caroline started blushing as she looked away and took a sip of her glass. She recalled that being the brand they had at the party, she's the one that bought it, after all, but she couldn't picture herself memorizing the taste. Her heart skipped beats as she realized how important that night was for Klaus.
Matt and Liam started asking Klaus all kinds of questions about drinks, which lead Klaus to talk about the places he first tasted them, his trips to other countries and all the places he knew. Caroline would find Elena smiling approvingly –and teasingly- every now and then, which made her blush even more. Before they knew it, a small group had gathered around them. Women swooned at Klaus' accent while the men asked him about politics and history. Soon he had them all eating from the palm of his hand.
That is, until soft music started playing.
"A string quartet. How lovely!" Klaus interrupted himself before turning to Caroline. "We must dance, I insist." He said before taking her hand and placing a kiss on her knuckles. Caroline heard all the girls going "Awww" while watching Klaus lead her to the dance floor.
When they got there and she turned to place her arms around his neck, she had a playful smile on her face.
"You sound extra British today." She accused playfully.
"Yes well, I thought…"
"That you would impress them." Caroline interrupted them. Klaus shrugged and nodded. "But why? You don't need to impress them. You don't even know them."
"But you do, and they know you. I thought you would like to come back to your home town as a winner. Let them know how far you made it in life, how well you're doing now." Klaus said pulling her closer. "I want them to be as proud of you as I am."
Caroline smiled softly and shook her head.
"I don't care what they think and I don't need them to be proud of me. I'm just happy that you're here."
"You're much more humble than I am." Klaus commented, deeply touched by her words.
"Tell me something I don't know." Caroline joked while they moved to the soft music.
"How about I tell you how beautiful you look tonight? Have I said it already?"
"About a thousand times, but go ahead, I don't mind hearing you saying it again."
Klaus chuckled and rested his forehead against hers.
"You look stunning. You might not care about impressing anyone here, but I must admit I enjoyed seeing the look on that Lockwood boy's face when he saw you and realized he couldn't have you."
Once again, Caroline found herself blushing.
"You don't look so bad yourself."
"I know." He said cockily. "I make good arm candy."
At that Caroline tilted her head back and laughed. Klaus loved that sound.
They danced the night away, just happy to be in each other's arms. As the event approached it's ending, Carol Lockwood asked everyone to walk out of the house to the garden in the back yard.
The sky was clear and starry. The garden was decorated with paper lamps and fairy lights, giving it an enchanted forest vibe. The air was cool and it made Caroline tremble as goose bumps appeared in her arms. Soon enough Klaus was wrapping his suit jacket around her.
The sky lighted with the fireworks, leaving everyone in awe. As soon as the spectacle ended, Caroline turned to Klaus and smacked her lips against his.
Klaus kissed her back, a little surprised at first, and then pulled back with his eyes widely open.
"What was that for?" He asked.
"Our first real kiss as a couple happened during fireworks. I feel like we should kiss every time we see fireworks." Caroline replied with a shrug. "Plus, the ones I see when I kiss you are far better."
Klaus stood there stunned, with his arms wrapped loosely around her waist. After blinking a couple of times he smiled and pulled her closer. She really was something else.
For the next hour, Caroline and Klaus walked around the garden. Caroline ran into a few familiar faces and instantly started catching up.
It was close to midnight when Klaus leaned against the marble rail by the stairs that lead back to the house and spoke.
"I have to confess, I understand a little bit better what you felt during the New Year's party. You said you didn't belong there, with those people. The reasons might be different but I feel like I don't quite fit here either." He said lowly.
"What do you mean?" Caroline asked with a frown.
"I watched you talk to people that knew you from elementary school. You shared old stories and recalled some good memories. You're one of them, one of the people that make this small town what it is. I can't say I have something like that, I can't even remember any name from my time in school."
Caroline linked his arm with hers and rested her cheek against his shoulder.
"We're from different worlds, aren't we?" She whispered sadly.
"Yes. But that's exactly why I love you." He said before kissing her forehead. "Don't think for a second that our difference will make us fail as a couple."
Caroline lifted her head and stared into his eyes for a moment. The way he looked at her, so determined, told her he really meant it.
"Take me back to our room and make love to me." She whispered.
The look in Klaus' face softened and he nodded his head.
"As you wish."
.
Coming back home and not finding Spots there by the door, swinging his tail, was still painful. Caroline knew she would get used to it eventually, but it was hard. There was something soothing about seeing his big brown eyes and his ears pointing up whenever she walked in.
As they made their way to their bedroom to leave the suitcases, something caught her attention and made her stop. She turned to look at the painting above the modern fireplace in the living room and her heart stopped.
"Wha-…" She walked to it to take a closer look.
"Do you like it?" Klaus asked while standing behind her.
"Where did you get it?"
"I painted it myself."
It was a lovely portrait of Caroline sitting on a chair with Spots sitting her side. Her hand got lost in his fur, like she was patting his head. It was so detailed, it blew her mind.
"You… you painted this?" Caroline mumbled in shock.
"With the very same art supplies you gave me for Christmas." Klaus replied with a nod.
"Klaus… I don't know what to say… It's beautiful, and you're so talented."
Klaus walked to her and took her hands.
"Listen. I started painting it when we had that fight over Genevieve. I need you to understand that you're the first real girlfriend I had and love, I don't know how to do relationships. I'll mess it up, I'll say hurtful things, I'll be rude every now and then because that's who I am, but I'm learning and getting better. So I hope you can be patient with me, teach me how to do better. And know that no matter how badly I fuck it up, I love you, and this…" he said tilting his head toward the painting. "…is how I fix things. This is how I express myself, though my paintings."
Caroline blinked a couple of times, letting a few tears roll down her cheeks.
"God, Klaus!" She threw her arms around his neck and hugged him tight. "You're already doing so much better than you think." She whispered.
"Wait until you see the one where I painted you naked." Klaus said, making Caroline step back suddenly. "But that one I keep in my room."
"Oh my god!" Caroline said punching him in the shoulder.
"Just kidding!" he chuckled. Caroline then sighed with relief. "I keep it in my studio." Klaus added teasingly.
.
Days passed and things got back to normal, except perhaps by the big commotion that formed in the office the day Genevieve and Hayley got three and two years in jail for their crimes.
Life was good, numbers were going up, the clients were happy, which made Elijah happy. And a happy boss is a happy employee. Caroline loved her job at the Mikaelson and Sons. She wasn't just Elijah's assistant, but she was also in charge of all the events, which awoken a passion in her long buried inside her. She even considered doing it professionally one day. God knows New York is always short in event planners, and who better than the Mikaelsons to give her good references?
That morning felt like any other morning. Josh walked into her office pushing his cart like any other day.
"Hey Caroline."
"Hi Josh, do you have anything for Elijah today?"
"Yeah just a few." He said picking up some envelopes from his cart and handing them to her. "By the way, the birthday party you planned for Alaric was awesome!" He commented before he pushed his cart out.
"Thank you!" She said taking the mail. As she sorted the envelopes by sender she found one from the Siena House Shelter, one of the shelters she would go to when she was homeless. It caught her attention, but she knew better than pry in Elijah's business. Instead she got up and knocked on his door.
"Come in!" she heard him say.
"Hey, Josh came by." She commented while handing him the envelopes.
"Alright, thanks." Elijah said while taking them. "Would you please call my wife and schedule lunch together?" he asked while going through the envelopes.
"Sure. Anything else?"
"Umm… yes…" He said hesitantly. "Take this one to Niklaus' office. Make sure to give it to him personally." Elijah ordered while handing back one of the letters.
"No problem." Caroline took it and walked out.
After calling Katherine's assistant to schedule lunch, she headed to Klaus' office. On her way there she realized Elijah gave her the very same letter that caught her attention earlier.
"Weird…"
It took a short explanation to Sophie, Klaus' assistant, for her to let Caroline in, since usually she took Klaus' mail herself. She didn't need to knock, Klaus opened the door himself when Sophie announced her through the intercommunicator.
"Hello love, what a lovely surprise." He said as she walked in. The second the door was closed he had his arms wrapped around her and was kissing her hard.
"Klaus…" Caroline mumbled against his lips. "Not here…"
"Why not?" He said huskily before kissing her neck. "I always fantasize about taking you on my desk." He added.
"I'm here because Elijah sent me." She replied.
"Way to kill the mood love, by naming my brother." Klaus said while looking up at her and making a face. Caroline giggled and slapped his arm. "Perhaps I should thank him for sending me his lovely assistant to… uh assist me." He said licking his lips.
"He wanted you to have this." Caroline said holding the envelope in front of his face.
Klaus took it and examined it for a moment. Then he smirked and sat on top of his desk.
"No, love. He wants YOU to have this. He just let me have the honor of giving it to you." He said while handing it back.
Caroline frowned and took it back. She hastily opened it and started reading out loud.
"Dear partners of Mikaelson and Sons, We are so grateful for your generous donation." Caroline looked up at Klaus in surprise. When he nodded his head she kept reading, her feet taking her from one side of the office to the other. "Every year we face more and more difficulties at the moment of sheltering the homeless people of New York, since the number keeps increasing. Your donation will allow us to finish the new division we're building, which is meant to provide a better service and shelter those who need it." She stopped reading and looked up at Klaus. "Seriously? Klaus, this is wonderful!"
Klaus smiled and shrugged.
"Keep reading."
"Is because of your generosity and our gratitude that we agree to your conditions." Caroline read slowly and frowning slightly. "We will give the new division the name you requested. Hopefully we'll be able to open "The Caroline Forbes Shelter for women and children" to the public very soon."
Caroline's heart stopped. She looked up at Klaus in shock.
"What?!"
Klaus got up from his desk and walked to her.
"You always want to help people. I thought this way you would be helping hundreds of people every day."
Caroline broke down and started crying. She covered her face with her hands as she poured out everything she felt in her tears. She was shocked, moved, happy, proud, everything at once. She felt Klaus' arms as they moved around her and pulled her closer.
"Oh god! I love you, I love you so much." She cried against his chest.
"I know sweetheart, I love you too."
"Do you still want to have sex on your desk?" She asked, making Klaus chuckle.
"Maybe when you're done crying." He replied with a laugh.
Long gone were her days as a homeless, because right there, in Klaus' arms, she was home.
THE END