Notes: Another quick update, however I'm a little busy for the next week or two so I can't promise another one. Sorry! My classes are winding down and my family's big on Easter. I really appreciate all of the reviews and follows/favourites! You guys are awesome. Hopefully, Kol lives up to your expectations…
Growing Up Beside You
Part Six: Caroline Age: 21, Klaus Age 28 (February)
Kol, still stunned, looks back at Klaus, who really doesn't know what to say. Is there a person on the planet with worse timing that Kol Mikaelson? Klaus has his doubts.
Kol glances to Caroline then back at Klaus. To the white-knuckled grip Caroline's fingers have on the hem of Klaus' henley, the only garment she wears. And then Kol's stricken gaze lands on the pink underwear still dangling from his finger. Finally making the correct assumptions he lets out a strangled grunt, flinging them away in disgust. "Caroline! You slept with Nik! I touched your knickers! Oh my God." He turns to the sink and begins to wash his hands.
Caroline bristles and grabs her panties from where they landed on the kitchen island. She lacks a place to store them, however, so she thrusts them at Klaus and he puts them safely in his pocket, "No one asked you to be a panty snatching creep, Kol! And don't act like you've never touched a girl's panties, you whore!"
"You're not a real girl, Caroline!" he bellows in reply. "Ugh. I feel violated. And nauseated."
Caroline takes a deep breath, absolutely livid, preparing to respond, but Klaus cuts her off, deciding to try and calm things down, and runs a soothing hand down her back, "Let's stop shouting, shall we? Kol, clean up your mess. Caroline, love, why don't you go and put on some pants?"
She continues glaring at Kol for a moment before turning to Klaus, "Fine," she grabs Klaus by the back of his neck and hauls him down for a fairly filthy kiss, considering their audience, and he cannot help but meet it even when he realizes her intention. Caroline pulls back, leaving Klaus a bit dazed, and she shoots one last dirty look in Kol's direction as she leaves the room muttering, "Not a real girl, my ass."
"Wipe that stupid look off your face!" Kol scolds him, not making a move to clean up the spilled coffee and still looking horrified, "You just had your tongue. In Caroline Forbes' mouth! What is wrong with you?"
Klaus rolls his eyes towards the ceiling, shutters his instinctive response, because informing Kol that Caroline's mouth was about the most innocent place his tongue had been recently was a terrible idea. He throws a roll of paper towels at his brother, "I was there Kol. Let's just clean up and eat, like civilized adults, hmm?"
"Caroline is not an adult, Nik! She's a baby. A tiny blonde baby."
"She's two years younger than you are. Were you a baby two years ago?"
"Two and a half years younger than me," Kol sulks resentfully.
"Yes," Klaus deadpans, "you're maturity is a thing to marvel at."
Together they clean up the spilt coffee, as well as two men who've grown up with housekeepers are able (which is not very), but it's too cold for bugs and Klaus' cleaning service comes on Monday so he thinks it will suffice.
"What were you thinking, Nik?"
"That's really none of your business, is it?"
"This is Caroline we're talking about. It's so my business. Do you like her? Or is this some weird college girl fetish you're trying to get out of your system? Do I need to check your browser history?"
Klaus tries for patience, "Just clean, Kol."
Caroline emerges a few moments later, having raided the guest room for a sleeveless top and leggings that Rebekah must have left behind. Her face is scrubbed clean and hair pulled back into a bun high on her head.
She looks very young and Kol is shaking his head disapprovingly while Klaus tries very hard not to squirm uncomfortably. He clears his throat and makes an attempt at resuming a normal conversation, "Thanks for cooking, Kol."
"Welcome. Remind me we need to have a discussion about acceptable cheddars."
Klaus will not be reminding Kol of that. He has less than fond memories of the time he bought sweet potatoes instead of yams and the lecture he'd endured. "Do you want some juice, Caroline?" he asks, "I have orange in the refrigerator."
Kol's choice in coffee tends to lean towards dark roasts and Klaus knows that Caroline is not a fan. However when Kol says mockingly, "Yes, Caroline, have some juice. Wouldn't want to stunt your growth," Klaus senses he might have made a misstep.
"Coffee's fine," Caroline replies flatly, and goes to fix herself some.
Klaus clears his throat, debates explaining himself, but realizes Kol will probably manage make it worse, so he says, "You never told us why you were here, Kol."
Kol places a hand over his heart dramatically, "Am I unwelcome? On this, the day of our baby sister's 22nd birthday party? I am hurt, brother."
Klaus sips his own coffee, "Not unwelcome. Rebekah said you couldn't make it this weekend so I wasn't expecting you."
"Clearly," Kol says with a judging look towards Caroline.
Caroline snorts as she sits down, leaving a seat empty between the chair she chooses and Klaus', "Stop being a dick, Kol. I know why you're here."
"Yeah. What part of 'it's Bekah's birthday and I was invited' was unclear?"
Caroline leans forward pinning Kol with an unimpressed look, "Oh really? Let's examine the facts. Fact: just last week you were too busy to make it. Fact: on Tuesday a certain someone posted on Twitter that she got a surprise extension on a project. Fact: said someone then posted that she was looking forward to spending the weekend in New York with her high school friends. Fact: you liked that tweet. Fact: you're here."
Kol points a finger at Caroline, "Circumstantial!"
She slapped the finger away, "Shut up, I'm right."
Klaus was lost, "Wait, who's this girl? Please tell me it's not Elena Gilbert."
"Ugh. Of course not. What a drip. Caroline's clearly on drugs. There's no girl!" Kol denies hotly.
"It's Bonnie," Caroline answered Klaus, at the same time, "where have you been? He's like obsessed with her."
"Really?" Klaus asked, raising an eyebrow at Kol, who avoids his gaze and goes to the oven, despite the fact that the timer is still ticking down. "What was it that you were just saying about babies?"
Kol makes a rude gesture that Klaus returns. Caroline mutters, "And I'm the baby," into her coffee in disbelief and maybe a touch of resentment.
Kol busies himself in dishing up the breakfast casserole he'd made (extra cheese, extra bacon, if Klaus knew his brother) onto three plates.
The three of them eat in silence for a few moments before Kol clears his throat, "Caroline," he begins, painfully earnest.
She drops her fork and leans back, "Good Lord, here we go."
Kol ignores her, "Caroline, we need to talk about your life choices."
"Seriously?"
Klaus takes a sip of coffee and tries not to laugh. Now that the initial mortification is out of the way he can see how the situation is funny, though he suspects that neither Kol nor Caroline will be pleased if he points it out.
"You're a great girl, Caroline, and I'm only trying to look out for you. You're very smart, with a bright future ahead of you. I'm sure plenty of blokes think you're pretty. You could do so much better than Niklaus."
Caroline lets out a burst of surprised laughter at that.
Klaus reaches across to flick Kol's ear, "Pretty sure I resent that, brother."
Kol swats him away and gives him a patronizing look, "When was the last time you had a girlfriend for longer than two months, Nik? Tatia? Six, seven years ago? Really, you're a bit of a floozy."
"I'm a floozy?" Klaus cries incredulously.
"That's what I said, isn't it? It's a parade of pretty, young things, all the time, for you."
"How would you even know that?"
"I have my sources," Kol sniffed.
Klaus noticed Caroline dragging her fork through her food with far more concentration than the act warranted, eyes downcast, and suddenly finds this conversation less humorous, "You're sources are wrong. And you have no room to talk, brother,"
"We are not talking about me, Nik. I'm not the one despoiling Bekah's childhood friends."
"Not for lack of trying, from what I'm hearing. Besides, which one of us had chlamydia, Kol?"
"That was one time, Niklaus!" Kol shouts, standing in his outrage, "And it was a secret!"
Caroline covered her mouth to smother a laugh, finally looking up.
Kol sits back down and glowers at her, "If you tell Bekah about that Caroline, so help me…"
"Please. If anything you should be worried about me telling Bonnie."
Kol reddens slightly and looks ready to strangle Caroline so Klaus intervenes, "I'm sure Caroline won't tell anyone. And I'm sorry for just blurting it out like that." He gives Caroline a significant look.
She sighs, "Fine. I promise not to tell anyone. It's really not that big a deal, you know. Chlamydia's the strep throat of STD's. And speaking of secrets…" Caroline trails off and gestures at Klaus.
Kol lights up, "My, my, my how quickly the tables have turned!"
"Shut it, Kol," Klaus grumbles, not exactly pleased to be relegated to a dirty little secret.
"No, you want me to keep this relationship hush hush for you? What's in it for me?"
Caroline narrows her eyes at him, "First, it's not a relationship. Second, I don't need you to keep it quiet forever, just until I can tell Bekah, in my own way, once we're back at school. Third, what's in it for you is that not only will I keep your little Chlamydia skeleton, I will not tell Bonnie Bennett any of the literally thousands of pieces of dirt I have collected on you, over the years, unless asked about them directly."
Kol considers her offer, tries to sweeten the pot, "And talk up how handsome I am? Tell her I'm delightful?"
"God, no. I can't lie to Bonnie, Kol. It's a direct violation of girl code. Why, do you think your charm isn't up to the challenge? You need a wing woman to get the job done?"
Klaus is a bit awed at how neatly Caroline just played Kol, and is struck again by just how closely tied she is to his family. Few people are vainer than his little brother so poking at his ego was the surest way of getting what she wanted.
"You have a deal, Forbes."
Caroline stands and sticks a hand out, "Shake on it, Mikaelson?"
Kol shakes grudgingly and Caroline grabs her coffee cup and drains it with a grimace, "Now, I hate to leave you with the dishes, especially since my sticky feet tell me you two have no idea what you're doing, but I'm gonna go back to my hotel and shower."
"You could shower here," Klaus tells her grabbing her hand and reeling her into the space between his knees.
Kol mimes vomiting, "Ick. I said I'd keep whatever this is a secret but I don't want to see it, and I don't want to hear you two going at it in the shower. My constitution is far too delicate."
"I'm going to let that one go Kol," Caroline warns, "but you keep your little comments to yourself when Rebekah gets here or I. Will. Ruin. You."
Kol sticks his tongue out at her, but pointedly turns his back on them, opening the dishwasher.
Caroline pulls away from him, "Thanks, Klaus. But I should get to my hotel and pack up my stuff. Lexi's meeting me there at checkout and then we're coming back here to pick up Bekah."
"Ah yes, I seem to remember being emailed a very strict outline of today's plans."
"Exactly. No one messes with Rebekah's schedule," she gives him a small smile and disappears back into his room, coming out a minute later with her folded up dress from last night.
Kol glances over, "There's a pair of tights behind the couch. I assume they're yours unless Nik has expanded his hobbies fabulously since we last spoke."
"Thank you, Kol." Caroline backtracks to scoop them up then holds a thick grey sweater aloft, "I found this in the guestroom closet and I assume it's yours. I'm stealing it."
Kol's wardrobe is nearly as extensive as Rebekah's so he nods, unconcerned.
Caroline makes for the door and Klaus follows her, wishing for the first time that his apartment wasn't so open concept. Caroline, over the course of dealing with Kol, has begun to act quite distant, and Klaus would really like to be able to have a conversation without an audience.
"I'll walk you down."
"Not necessary," she refuses his offer immediately, "I'm a big girl and I'll be fine."
Klaus opens his mouth to argue but something about the mulish set to her mouth makes him relent, "If you insist." Caroline stuffs her dress into her bag and puts her boots on. Klaus helps her with her jacket, "I'll see you later, love?" he asks tentatively and sort of wants to punch himself. And then punch Kol, for making this situation about a billion times more awkward than it should have been. Klaus had so been looking forward to pancakes and morning sex.
"Of course! I am sleeping in your guest room tonight. With your little sister. Since I am still her childhood best friend."
Klaus can feel his face twist into a grimace, it sounded terrible when she put it that way. "Right, well. I'll talk to you later, then."
"Later, Klaus. Bye Kol!"
Caroline leaves and Klaus calls downstairs to make sure one of the building's staff will ensure she gets into a cab (she'd probably have something scathing to say if she knew he was doing it, but she'll be perfectly polite to whichever doorman ends up assisting her, so what she doesn't know won't hurt her).
He goes back into the kitchen. Kol's standing uselessly by the dishwasher, not having loaded so much as a fork. He's staring at Klaus as if he's grown a second head.
"What?" Klaus snaps.
"Touchy! Can I ask a question?"
"Could I stop you?"
"Touché. But honestly, Caroline said that you're not in a relationship, and I buy that, because I'm pretty sure I would've noticed. Actually, now that I think about it she was right pissed at you over Christmas."
"We had a spat, we got over it."
"Interesting," Kol drawls.
"Not particularly. Your question?"
"Well, what is it? It can't be just a one-nighter. You're not that stupid."
"Why thank you, brother. That might be the nicest thing you've ever said to me."
"Oh, don't get mushy, Nik. I just meant you're obligated to see Caroline, at the minimum, at major holidays and such for the foreseeable future. She's basically the worst option for a one night stand imaginable."
Klaus sighs, suddenly weary. "I don't know what it is, Kol. You're right, and I'll deny saying that. But we talked a bit about it and the timing's terrible. So it seems to be a one night stand. For now."
"For now? Wow. You actually like Little Caroline Forbes. Rebekah's going to murder you, you know."
Klaus chuckled ruefully, "Well, Caroline won't tell her this weekend, and I won't see Bekah again until her graduation, so with a little luck she'll have calmed down by then."
"You're not that lucky. Say, do you have a will? I'd really like this apartment, you know."
Klaus had retreated into his room to shower, then to attempt to get some work done, while he waited for Rebekah to arrive. He'd specifically arranged to go into work late today, and stay until about 8, because according to Rebekah's schedule she and her friends would be eating takeout and drinking while they got ready to go to Marcel's club. Essentially he'd planned to avoid his own home. Really, he was far too accommodating to Rebekah's whims.
He'd put his foot down when she'd wanted to live with him though, weathered an endless litany of 'Please, Nik's' and 'I've never lived alone's!' as well the occasional 'Do you want me to be serial-killed?!' It was one thing to have his siblings in his space for a few days every couple of months, quite another to live with Rebekah day in and day out.
He'd helped her find a reasonably spacious one-bedroom in a building around the corner. In Marcel's building, which was a concern. Though Klaus supposed he should really try to be less hypocritical about having Rebekah romantically interested in a friend of his, after last night. Key word being 'try.'
Rebekah would be in the city full time as of September and Klaus suspected he'd have to confiscate her key to his place, because he was certain she'd abuse it, living so close.
Klaus was on a call with a client the gallery was sourcing some sculptures for when the call came from downstairs that Rebekah had arrived. He tried to wrap up the conversation but he heard Rebekah in the living room before he was finished.
He heard her greet Kol with happy surprise, but the two of them quickly fell into tones and rhythms that Klaus recognized as bickering, the way they'd been doing since Rebekah mastered speaking in sentences, even if he couldn't make out what the words being said.
Finally, he arranged a meeting for next week, and told his client to have a good day.
Immediately upon entering his living room he was drawn into the argument, "Nik, please inform Kol that stalking my friends' social media accounts is creepy, and not an acceptable use of his free time."
"Nik, please inform Rebekah that it's a free country, and that I do what I want. Also, that I am not stalking anyone."
"Oh please! Don't think I don't notice you liking every single one of Bonnie's Instagram pics! Usually before anyone else, you wanker. Are they saved in your phone? Give me your phone, Kol."
Rebekah lunged at Kol, but Klaus stepped in front of her, "Easy, Bekah. You just got here. Let's not shed blood until at least tomorrow, hmm?"
Rebakah continued to glare over Klaus' shoulder but ceased trying to throttle Kol, "Fine."
"Happy Birthday, sister."
"Thanks, Nik!" Rebekah favored him with a brilliant smile, "I loved the earrings."
Klaus refrains from mentioning the scarf. "I'm glad. Make yourself at home. I do have to go to work this afternoon..."
"But it's my birthday!" Rebekah whines.
Kol snorts, "It is not. Your birthday was nine days ago. And newsflash Bekah, you're not that important. There's no national holiday to commemorate the day of your birth."
"Oh, so nice of you to remember the exact day, considering all I got was a text!"
Klaus could feel a headache building and began to ease towards the door. "Right, well you two try not to break anything. I'll be home around nine."
Rebekah whirls towards him, her expression calculating, "A question, before you go?"
"Of course, Bekah."
"Why are there hairgrips all over the floor? Are you seeing someone? Will she be coming tonight?"
"Yes, Nik. Will she be coming tonight?" Kol interjects with badly disguised glee.
"That's three questions, and no, I am not seeing anyone," Klaus is careful to avoid looking at Kol and hopes that answering Rebekah's first question will suffice.
Rebekah shrugs, "Probably for the best. Your taste is deplorable, Nik and I shouldn't have to be polite on my birthday."
"Again," Kol reminds her, "not your birthday."
"You know what I mean, Kol!"
"And when are you ever polite? I've known you for 22 years and 9 days and I don't think I've ever witnessed such a thing."
Rebekah lets loose a frustrated shriek, grabs her suitcase and storms down the hallway towards the guest room, "I'm going to shower the train germs off. Please be out of my sight when I get out, Kol, or I will kill you."
"So violent, Bekah. That's not very ladylike."
His only answer was the slamming of a door.
Klaus put his coat on, "I mean it, Kol. You break it, you bought it. The rest of Bekah's friends will be here around 1. Do try to be civilized."
Kol sighs, "You used to be so much more fun, Nik."
Klaus had buried himself in work, ignoring the niggling thoughts about Caroline's behavior this morning and the cool note she'd left on, and managed to accomplish more than he'd needed to. Arriving home, just before 9 PM he could hear pop music blasting from behind the door of his apartment.
He lets himself in, doesn't bother to announce himself, because he doubts anyone will hear him. Kol's sprawled on the couch, engrossed in his laptop, head bobbing unconsciously to the song that's playing. Stefan Salvatore is sitting in an armchair tapping away on his phone. The kitchen island's covered in foil dishes and bottles of wine and Klaus is starving so he goes to investigate.
Chinese. From his favorite place. Excellent.
Klaus helps himself to food and some wine from a half-empty bottle of Riesling. He prods Kol until his brother sits up and gives him room on the couch, "How long has that been happening?" Klaus asks, with a tilt of his head towards the guest room.
Stefan looks up, "I got here at 7:30, just after the food. We just started our second run-through of this playlist. They only emerge for more booze and snacks. I'd wager they're three-quarters ready."
"That's specific," Klaus notes. "What're we listening to?"
"Bekah's Birthday Mix," Kol informs him, "you'll hate it."
"I hate it," Stefan complains.
"You're a snob, Salvatore."
"I appreciate the classics," Stefan defends himself, "actual instruments. Not random bleep bloops."
"You'll be a spectacular old man, then."
Klaus laughs, he does appreciate Kol's witticisms rather more when they're directed at others. Stefan doesn't appear offended and returns to his phone.
"I assume Lexi's here, since her shadow is," Stefan flips Klaus off without looking up again, "but Elena and Bonnie as well?"
"Yep. Their trains got in right on time. They all went off to do girly shit this afternoon. I quite enjoyed the 'me' time."
"Overshare, dude," Stefan interjected.
"And how is Bonnie?" Klaus asks suggestively, nodding as the girl in question, in a short dress and bare feet, enters the room, out of Kol's sightline.
Kol frowns at him, "Do you really want to go down that road, brother?"
"Bonnie," the Bennett girl says, "thinks Kol should seek help for his raging narcissism. Anyone who posts so many shirtless gym selfie's clearly has a problem. Hi, Klaus. Thanks for letting us invade your place."
Stefan laughs and Kol looks put out. Bonnie grabs an unopened bottle and heads back the way she came without further comment.
"Ouch. I do believe you have your work cut out for you, Kol."
"I'm not the only one, if the frosty goodbye I witnessed between you and one of my favorite blondes this morning is anything to go by."
"That," Klaus begins with a growl, angry, because did Kol think that was the least bit subtle?
"By the way, I know about Klaus and Caroline," Stefan informs them, interrupting, "and I don't care, so don't do that hint-hint-blackmail-murder-threats-thing you guys do. It's annoying."
"How do you know about Klaus and Caroline?" Kol asks curiously. And usually Klaus would tell him not to be a gossip monger but he can't help but want to know himself.
Stefan shrugs, "Lexi."
Kol is exasperated, "How does a random girl I've never met before tonight find these things out before me? I'm highly insulted, Nik. Highly."
"Get over it, Kol. I'm going to shower. Are we still leaving at 10:30?"
"According to the most recent printout our nutty sister handed me, yes. And hurry up, 'cause I'm going to need to use your bathroom. As if you only have two."
Klaus refrains from pointing out that he does, in fact, live alone, and rarely has any use for a second bathroom, let alone a third. Kol's a bit reckless with money and probably won't care. He's also puzzled as to when and why Caroline had confided in Lexi.
He knocks on the half-open door to the guest room and peeks inside before going to get ready, "Evening, ladies." Bonnie and Lexi are seated on the bed with a bag of pretzels. They're watching Rebekah, who has a slightly different beige shoe on each foot, debate which to wear. Elena and Caroline are by the long mirror over the dresser. It's littered with cosmetics and Elena is brandishing a straightening iron while Caroline uses a tube of mascara.
He's treated to an assortment of waves and hello's. "Which shoes, Nik?" Rebekah asks.
Klaus considers, "The… slightly less pointy ones?"
Rebekah begins to mutter something about brother's being mostly useless, and where is Elijah when you need him? Klaus takes another glance over at Caroline. She's dressed in black but the top looks flimsy and the shorts are so small that he's left wondering if he left any marks on her thighs last night because they would surely be visible. He wants to investigate.
She meets his eyes in the mirror and raises a questioning brow, tossing her hair over her shoulder. He tilts his head slightly, indicating that she should try get away if she can. But she shakes her head, nearly imperceptibly, than begins to paint her lips with a deep, glossy, plum color.
Instantly causing Klaus body to react as he begins to fantasize about all the ways he can smudge it off.
He tunes back in to hear Rebekah berating him, "…other than a ratty grey t-shirt, if you please."
Klaus rolls his eyes, as complaints about his wardrobe are not new, "Far be it for me to embarrass you, Bekah."
"See that you don't," Bekah says with a nod, as if that was just what she was waiting to hear
He leaves the room to a chorus of giggles, wondering if he should make the shower a cold one.