Notes: Yikes, this one was rough! I started it more than a few times and this is the final result. There's a bit in here that has been nagging me forever so hopefully it works. Thanks to everyone who reviewed the last chapter and those who've expressed interest! I realize that the length between updates was lengthy, especially considering how rapidly I posted the last 5 chapters, but that's just how my brain rolls.
Caroline: Age 25, Klaus: Age 32 (October)
Klaus calls permission to enter in response to the sharp rapping on his door, eyes on his laptop. He pays Lucien no mind as the other man strolls in and throws himself into one of Klaus' guest chairs. He's finishing up a few final things before he leaves for the weekend and he knows that Lucien's already done his tasks, is only hanging around waiting on Klaus. They're set to meet Marcel and Enzo and probably Kol, if he's made it to the city already, for drinks in half an hour. Lucien heaves a noisy sigh and Klaus glances up curiously. Lucien's expression is set to disappointment but he's smirking, putting Klaus on guard. "What is it?" he asks warily.
Lucien slouches down in his seat, "You've been holding out on me and I am quite upset. And here I thought we've become such good friends."
Klaus wracks his brain for a moment, comes up short. But then odd tangents aren't exactly unheard of where Lucien's concerned. "I haven't any idea what you're talking about."
"I'm talking about the pretty young thing with the legs who just showed up. She looked a bit chilly but I'm not one to complain about such a view."
Klaus closes his laptop, and pushes back from his desk, a ball of anticipation growing. He strives to seem unconcerned, leery of giving Lucien anything to latch on to. "Did she give you a name? I'm not expecting anyone."
"Mmm, what was it again?" Lucien drawls. His brows furrow, head rolling back to stare up at the ceiling in feigned concentration. "Pretty name, that I remember. Something with a 'C'…"
Klaus' hands clench around the edge of his desk but otherwise he forces himself to remain calm. He was well aware that Caroline would be in town, they'd spoken two days ago. It's her birthday on Monday and both she and Kol were visiting for the weekend to celebrate. Rebekah had claimed Caroline for a girl's night tonight, had insisted that no brother's or boyfriends or men in general were allowed. Klaus hadn't expected to see Caroline until tomorrow. "Caroline?" he questions lightly.
Lucien snaps his fingers, "Yes! That was it. Why have I not met that lovely little morsel? Is she single?"
"She lives in Chicago," Klaus tells him, ignoring his latter question. "And she's far too good for you."
"My favorite type of woman!" Lucien crows cheerfully, pushing himself to his feet. He turns towards the door but Klaus speeds passed him and cuts him off before he reaches it. "If you value your life," Klaus says evenly, "you'll leave immediately."
If anything that only seems to heighten Lucien's amusement. "Oh, really? How interesting. And I note you didn't answer my question about her relationship status. Sore subject?" he tips his head to the side, the picture of faux concern.
Klaus feels his eyes narrowing, his jaw clenching, wants to kick himself for losing his composure to a degree that Lucien will absolutely note. And likely use in the future. Ad nauseam. "I don't believe she's seeing anyone."
Though he cannot be entirely sure. He and Caroline haven't seen one another since his business trip over the summer though they've been in contact with greater frequency than ever before. Texts and emails have become phone calls, and those calls have grown in length. He thinks she would have mentioned a boyfriend somewhere in there but he can't be entirely certain. Perhaps she'd avoid it, wouldn't want to potentially make things awkward with something like that hanging between them. Neither of them have mentioned the number months that have passed, how they've dwindled from the eighteen Caroline had named, but Klaus is very aware of them.
Lucien's grin in slow and speculative, "Excellent," he murmurs, watching Klaus carefully. "Might I trouble you for an introduction? Maybe even a good word about how handsome and charming I am?"
He's pushing his luck and he knows it, his manner gleeful and anticipatory. Klaus really needs to look into making different, less bothersome, friends. "You'll meet her tomorrow at the party Rebekah's throwing. The one I thought Aurora was set to accompany you too?"
Lucien's face falls just for a moment but he shrugs amiably, "I'm fairly certain that we're off again and I'll be flying solo to your sister's little shindig."
"Fairly certain?" Klaus asks. Because that seems like something one should know.
"We didn't really get to talk it over but the picture frame she threw at my head was a clear indicator of her feelings on the matter, I thought."
Klaus blinks, digesting that. "Sounds like," he agrees. Lucien and Aurora had been together off and on for years, from what Klaus had gleaned. Had run into each other a few months back and quickly rekindled things. Their relationship seemed… volatile but Klaus wasn't privy to the particulars. He'd only met Aurora a handful of times, found her intense and a smidge too friendly, but Lucien had seemed happy to indulge her every whim.
"Yes, so you can see that I have a broken heart that needs soothing and why not try my luck with your little blonde friend? I won't even have to worry about running into her all over town all awkward-like after."
"Not happening," Klaus clips out, meeting Lucien's gaze steadily.
Lucien seems unbothered, a satisfied grin flitting across his face, "So you do like this girl. Kol insisted that you were chock full of warm and fuzzies but I had my doubts. Can't wait to officially make her acquaintance."
Klaus grimaces, throwing open the door and resisting the urge to shove Lucien through it. He knew he shouldn't have introduced Kol to Lucien. They were alike in all the most disastrous ways. "Remind me to maim my brother at some point this weekend. Later. Right now you're going to march past Caroline, smile politely, and leave the gallery. I'll catch up with you later."
"I'm not going to hold my breath on that one," Lucien replies knowingly. "You'd ditch the boys and I in a heartbeat, wouldn't you?"
"And you wouldn't in a similar situation?" Klaus fires back.
"Touché," Lucien says, inclining his head. He leaves without another word and Klaus follows closely not trusting Lucien overly much. He shoots one last smirk over his shoulder and Klaus braces himself for the worst as Caroline turns and smiles as they approach. "So sorry to keep you waiting," Lucien tells her genially. He gestures to Klaus with a long suffering air, "Had to tear that one away from his screen. He's so very dull these days. All work, work, work."
Caroline's gaze shifts to Klaus for a moment, her eyebrows rising in interest, "That's okay. I probably should have called first."
Klaus sees Lucien's mouth open and he cuts him off, just to be safe. "You're always welcome, love. Come back to my office? Lucien was just leaving."
He fixes the Lucien with a hard look, one that promises retribution should he choose to be difficult. Mercifully, he doesn't. "Ah yes, there's a bar and a drink calling my name. It was lovely to meet you, Caroline."
"You too," she echoes. Lucien nods at Klaus, with a final smirk and a mock salute, before leaving them be. Klaus would bet considerable amounts of money that Lucien will be blurting out every detail of the previous minutes, his introduction to Caroline and Klaus' reactions, to Marcel and Enzo and Kol shortly.
Klaus expects he'll be hearing all about it later.
He leads Caroline to his office, "Can I take your coat?"
Her eyes drift to the clock on the wall a considering twist to her lips, "Yeah, sure. I have more than an hour until I'm supposed to meet Bekah."
"I'm surprised she let you out of her clutches," Klaus jokes, as Caroline tugs off her scarf. "She was most insistent that she have you to herself tonight."
Caroline rolls her eyes, but she's smiling. "I managed to slip out while she was agonizing about her shoes. But Rebekah's always been possessive and she seriously lacks quality girl time these days. I've learned to deal with it. Plus she promised she'd found the best chocolate cake in the history of the world. How am I supposed to be mad about that?"
She's continued pulling off her outerwear and Klaus has a hard time tearing his eyes away when she hands him her coat. The red dress is short and the neckline cut in a deep v leaving Klaus wondering just what she's wearing underneath it. And very tempted to press his mouth to that soft patch of skin left bare between her breasts.
Regrettably, not something he can do in his office.
He forces himself to turn away, setting her things on the rack in the corner. He keeps his eyes carefully on her face when he turns back, gesturing for her to take a seat. "What brings you by?" Klaus asks.
It's only because he'd been watching her closely that he catches the brief flash of nervousness that flashes across Caroline's face before she hides it. "I kind of wanted to see you before tomorrow. I hope that's okay. It's just been months since… well, the last time. And the thought of doing it in front of Kol and Bekah and Enzo and whoever else will be at dinner tomorrow kind of weirded me out. I know they'll be watching, judging, and I didn't really want that. I figured we could get it out of the way now."
Klaus digests that, notes her hands twisting together in her lap. "Like I said," he tells her lightly, "you're always welcome." Caroline relaxes, her smile growing, and she shifts slightly to face him as he takes the chair next to her. He's had similar thoughts, if he's being honest. Rebekah had tried to pry the details of his visit to Chicago out of him had stormed out in a huff when Klaus told her that it was none of her business. Kol's tried as well, more persistently, but since he also lives hundreds of miles away his attempts are easily brushed off and ignored. Klaus feels like he's come to know Caroline better over these last few months, more intimately. His siblings will likely note it regardless but perhaps it won't be as jarring if they settle into it a bit first, just the two of them. "How's work going?" he asks her. He knows she's recently been prompted from their phone conversations and that the new workload had taken some getting used to.
Caroline beams, "Really well. Exactly as I'd planned."
Klaus hides a smile at the Caroline-ness of that response, knowing she'd get peeved if he had to explain his reaction. "Glad to hear your schedule is intact, sweetheart."
"What about you?" she asks, letting her eyes drift around. "Your office is way fancier than mine," she nods to his glass-topped desk, "but that thing would drive me nuts. It must be a bitch to keep clean."
Klaus has never really thought about it. "Not my department, thankfully. And things are going very well. Do you remember Davina? Her show went fantastically, as I predicted. We've another one in the plan for January and she's frantically painting away. She's sent me photos and I think she's relaxed a bit and her work is better for it."
"That's great! I really did like her."
"And I remain a little offended by that given how little she likes me."
Caroline laughs brightly, "You'll survive, I'm sure." She tips her head and her tone turns coaxing, "And your painting? Still at it? Anything you'd be willing to show me?"
Klaus drums his fingers on the arm of his chair, considers his response. "Perhaps," he allows.
Caroline groans, and he imagines she's displeased with the vagueness. "Come on. Not being pushy when you talk about it on the phone is so freaking hard. I have seriously considered pulling a Kol and breaking into your apartment. I could totally get my hands on either his keys or Bekah's. And at least one of your doormen must remember me and would let me slip by with a little bribery and/or flirting. I was thinking cupcakes and a slutty top."
"I think pizza would be more effective."
The look she shoots him is exasperated. "Noted. Or you could just show me. One teeny little thing. Save me the trouble of committing crime. My mom would be horrified if she knew I was considering it, you know."
Klaus decides to tease her, just a little more. "Well, in the interest of not scandalizing the good sheriff I suppose I could."
Her eyes widen in surprise and she leans forward, "Seriously? The mom card worked? I totally wasn't expecting it to be that easy."
Klaus breathes out a laugh, "Oh, it's not. Since you were ever so insistent that I not buy you anything for your birthday I decided to cheat and make you something. But sadly you're going to have to be patient."
Caroline's mouth drops open and her reply is indignant, "What? That's not fair! You can't just dangle that in front of me!"
"It's not your birthday until next week, is it? Presents will have to wait." Klaus leans back and attempts his very best angelic demeanor.
Caroline quite obviously is not buying it. He watches as she thinks, assumes she's trying to work out a favorable tactic from the shifts in expression. Unfortunately, she's out of luck. He has every confidence that she could persuade him to hand over her gift early. But he'd packed it up shipped it to her apartment in Chicago yesterday. He tells her as much and she throws up her hands in frustration, "Ugh, you are the worst! That's going to bug me all weekend now."
"A little anticipation never killed anybody," Klaus says mildly, hiding a smile once more.
Caroline huffs incredulously, "Have you met me?"
"Several times," Klaus deadpans.
She glares, but it's half-hearted. "Cute. Can I at least have a hint?" Caroline wheedles.
Klaus mulls it over. In truth mailing her gift had been partially about his own nerves. He'd not shown a thing to another soul in so long that the idea of busting that bubble was one that made him a touch uneasy. He knew Caroline well, would be able to see through any attempts she made to spare his feelings if she hated what he'd painted. Plus the piece he'd sent meant something and he knew that Caroline was smart enough to get that and he didn't want her to be forced into an immediate response.
Even if there was no way that she would grasp his entire purpose with the gift since she was technically only getting part one of it as a birthday gift.
Klaus hoped that part two would suffice as a house warming gift in thirteen months or so.
He'd gotten the idea just before Davina's show in the midst of an argument with the petulant artist. He'd wanted the cityscape Caroline had been fond of to be displayed but she'd insisted it didn't fit the theme. At one point she'd planted her hands on her hips asked him what his issue was. "If you like it so much you buy it!" Davina had snapped before whirling away.
The comment had taken Klaus aback, long enough that Davina had been able to escape even though they had work to do. He'd muttered some not so nice things and had turned away. But the painting in question had caught his eye, Davina's words ringing in his head.
And he'd ended up buying it, ignoring Davina's pointed amusement and wry commentary while they'd negotiated and not questioning the price even though she was definitely gouging him. He could afford it and he was reasonably certain the work's value would grow, not that he intended to sell it.
It would be a gift, after all.
It was sitting neatly in storage, carefully packaged to avoid damage. Caroline had liked it, that day in the studio and Klaus knew she'd come to love Chicago. He thought she'd appreciate the painting as a reminder of the years she'd spent there once she moved to New York.
His own painting had nagged at him for a week before he'd started it. Cityscapes weren't something he'd had much practice in and he'd spent a long time on the outline, worried that the proportions would be off. He'd seriously considered picking another skyline, thinking the one outside his apartment far too presumptuous. But the idea of working from a photo didn't appeal. And, in truth, Klaus wanted Caroline to recognize the buildings. Think of him when she looked at it, remember the things they'd already shared and wonder at the possibilities of what could be.
He did every time he hung up the phone so Klaus thought it was only fair.
She's watching him expectantly, her foot jiggling impatiently. "Come on, Klaus. Give me something here. Is it people? Are you finally coughing up those dirty drawings you claim to have done of me?"
Klaus grins, "Claim? Who's claiming? I'll have you know I added more to my collection over the summer. And as for your hint yes there are people in the painting but they are not the focus of it."
He sees Caroline struggling, wonders which part of his answer she'll choose to address. He's not surprised that her curiosity about her gift wins though he suspects she'll come back to the rest another time. Likely when she thinks his guard is down. "People I know?" she presses.
"Doubtful."
"What do you mean 'doubtful?'"
"I don't know every single person you know, do I?" Klaus explains reasonably. "But I doubt you'd know them."
She's about to pepper him with another question, the look on her face letting Klaus know she finds his answers highly unsatisfactory. But he shakes his head. "Now, I do believe that's three questions which I for one think is more than generous."
She makes a protesting noise and Klaus stands, offering his hand to help her to her feet. "I'm pretty certain I know what restaurant you're supposed to meet Rebekah at and it's not far from here. How about I walk you there and buy you a drink while you wait for her?"
She takes his hand grudgingly, a slight frown on her face, but she sounds resigned. "You're going to choose now to do that annoyingly stubborn thing, aren't you? Keep changing the subject?"
"I am," Klaus confirms as he pulls her up. The boots she's wearing put them eye to eye and hers are narrowed though he thinks she's fighting to seem more annoyed than she actually is, biting her lip to avoid smiling. He can't resist letting his hands linger, running them up her forearms and keeping her close, and Caroline makes no move to shake him off.
"I can still try my hand at sneaking in," she threatens him playfully, leaning in so they're lightly pressed together. "Kol's staying with you this weekend, right? He'd totally help me."
An accurate assessment. Klaus attempts to discourage her, "Ah, but I packed up most everything to clear out the guestroom for him. And I'm afraid I don't have much planned for this weekend. I don't know how you'd expect to sneak into my bedroom while I'm in my flat."
That apparently peaks her interest. "No plans?" she questions. "I thought your work friend was just trying to be a dick but maybe not? Are you really all work these days?"
He slides his fingers down to encircle her wrist, strokes over her pulse point with his thumb. "If there's something you want to know just ask, Caroline."
They're close enough that he can hear her inhale, feel the slight tremor of nerves that wracks her as she lets it go. "Are you seeing anyone, Klaus?" Caroline blurts out.
He's enormously pleased that she'd asked, and that she's evidently invested in the answer. He thinks it deserves a direct answer. "I am not. Are you?"
"No." Caroline shakes her head ruefully, "I'm pretty much all work too. Kol won't stop nagging me about it. It'd be sweet if he weren't so obnoxious with the cracks about my lady parts drying up."
"Charming," Klaus mutters darkly, adding that particular offense to Kol's list. "Is your overtime at least proving fruitful?" He recalls she'd said 'give or take' when she'd discussed her timeline. Klaus has no objections to it being shortened.
"I think so."
"I'm glad."
They share a smile and Klaus contemplates closing the distance between them, eyes dropping absently to her glossy lips. She speaks before he can make a decision, "Do you want to have lunch on Sunday?" Caroline asks. "I can probably rope Enzo into distracting Rebekah for the afternoon."
Klaus agrees immediately, already plotting on how he'll deal with Kol. It should be easy enough to convince Kol to go out for a few more drinks after Caroline's birthday dinner at Rebekah's tomorrow. If he plies his brother with enough bourbon he'll easily sleep away the day. And, as a bonus, Klaus will be gone and won't have to deal with Kol's whining about being hungover. It was a small punishment but Klaus would work on something bigger.
Caroline's relaxed slightly, not so tense under his hands. "I'll let you pick the place. Since you know the area way better than I do."
"Alright. But I'd like to note that this still does not fulfill the terms of our bet, love. You're still on the hook for that dinner date."
Caroline laughs softly, extricating herself from his hold and going for her coat. "Noted. And you're nuts if you think I'm going to argue about that."
"You do like arguing," Klaus notes, going around his desk to dig out his keys.
She snorts, shoots him an incredulous look as she buttons her coat, "Maybe. But come on. Does it seem like we ever have a shortage of things to argue about?"
Klaus supposes she has a point. Neither of them is lacking in opinions or shy about expressing them. And he's well aware that Caroline genuinely enjoys pushing his buttons, seeking a reaction. He can't deny that he does the same. It's never boring and Klaus very much likes the look of her when she's fired up and enjoys her wit when it's sharp and quick. It's been that way for years and he can't imagine it ever changing.
Doesn't think he'd want it to.
They chat about what Rebekah has planned for the evening and the next as they leave the office and make their way through the gallery space. They take bets on whether the dinner she's planned to make will succeed or if they'll end up eating take out. Klaus is leaning towards Thai but Caroline thinks Enzo will be a calming influence and dinner won't be a total disaster.
She'd always been the optimistic type.
Klaus holds the door to the gallery open for her, and Caroline strolls through. She nods to the left, "That way, right? I Google mapped it before I came here."
Klaus grins, "Of course you did, love. Sure you don't want to take a cab? I can't imagine those shoes are all that comfortable."
She shifts her weight, seems to consider it. "No, I'll be fine. It's nice out. Might as well take advantage."
Caroline threads her fingers through his when he's beside her and Klaus almost stops walking at the absent gesture, how easily she does it. He manages to recover, falling into step with her. She turns her head to look at him, "So real talk, how good is this cake Rebekah's promised me?"
"I've never had it. I'm not much for cakes and things."
"Right. Have I told you lately how wrong you are about that?" Caroline asks sweetly, her hand squeezing his for a moment.
Klaus smirks, "Not lately."
Caroline, of course, takes that as permission to launch into an attempt to convince him he's wrong. Her free hand gesticulates wildly but Klaus keeps a hold of the other, only speaks up when he needs to fuel her passionate defense of all things dessert-like, content to listen to her rant as they walk down the street.
It's easily the most fun he's had in months.