FLASHBACK – 3 years ago.s

Niklaus Phillipe Mikaelson wasn't happy. His studio had been incurring losses and his desperate attempts to get Enzo Miller to finalize a deal with him were futile. At first the man was adamant about his decision claiming he didn't want to sell his art for money and that they were purely for artistic pleasure but after tracking him down for nearly half a year Klaus wasn't going to let up easily. So far he had managed to sway the artist's decision after months of nagging and repeated persuading and Enzo finally agreed but only if it was on his terms. Klaus was overjoyed to say the least and realized that this was the best he was going to get from the man. Not wanting to waste any time with the details of a legal document, Klaus insisted on his legal team working on the contract immediately and him simultaneously working right away on Enzo's pieces and reviewing his previous works and publicizing him as an artist on social media.

The only thing left for Enzo to do was to sign the finalized contract which had gone through multiple amendments already. Without signing the document Klaus can not only be unable to represent Enzo exclusively but could potentially lose Enzo as his client to some big shot art studio mainly because of the mass marketing he had done for the artist which was now backfiring on him but Klaus was determined to keep his star. If it was up to Klaus that document would have been signed already but Enzo was very specific about his demands. Every time his legal team amended it Enzo would have another suggestion or another problem with it or it wouldn't work for the studio. The hardest part was finding something that worked for both Enzo and Klaus. For the most part Klaus had been understanding even if he wanted to rip his client's head off but he didn't dare deny Enzo's wishes in the off chance of back tracking on all the progress they made and driving his client away in the process. Enzo was wildly talented but also stubborn as hell. Reminded him of his wife, he thought.

He once again tried to reach Enzo on his cellphone again to be met with the robotic female at the end of the line encouraging him to leave a message. And again he left a message requesting nay ordering him to call him back immediately, this time using some colorful curse words hoping it would get the message across.

Enzo Miller was a frustrating man indeed. Klaus still remembers when he discovered his art or rather was shown to him by a certain blonde beauty. It was nearly a year ago on his birthday when his wife had stuffed him into a car and drove for nearly two hours to the outskirts of New York claiming she had a surprise for him. He had no idea where Caroline was taking him but that wild glint in her eyes told him it was going to be worth it. She always had that glint in her eyes when she was excited or rather incredibly sure of herself and if his neurotic overanalyzing wife who almost never left any room for error was sure then Klaus figured he had no reason to be doubtful.

Even when she finally cut the engine in front of what looked like an abandoned warehouse and got out tugging him along with her in the freezing cold in the middle of October he didn't doubt her. And sure enough after climbing too many stairs to get to the second floor of the warehouse there it was; all of Enzo Miller's imagination splattered on the walls.

Klaus was in complete awe as he took the art in. His widened eyes gaped at the lines and curves on the wall speaking to him in a language he didn't need to understand but just simply demanded to be felt. And boy did he feel it. He felt lost, feeling so much all at once. The art was dark, satirical and spoke of pain but at the same time gave an air of hopefulness. Even someone who wasn't well versed with art would find what he was seeing mesmerizing. A sense of optimism that things were going to be okay. He explained all of this to Caroline speaking in exasperated breaths still processing what he was seeing but she did what she always did.

She looked at him with that glint in her eyes and said "Man and here I thought I was just looking at a bunch of animals in a wild. I don't know about whatever you said but it's breathtaking."

Now normally Klaus would have rolled his eyes at her ignorance and claimed she lacked appreciation for art and that day was no different. He looked at her with wide eyes wanting to scream at her to look around her and open her eyes and feel what the artist was saying to the beholder but at the same time he wanted to kiss her lips and hold on to her for dear life and thank her for bringing him to this abandoned warehouse and allowing him to experience such a thing. And so he did.

She pulled away from his kiss and laughed a little and Klaus felt warm holding her in his arms.

"Mmm I have to bring you to more abandoned warehouses with pretty art if I'm going to get a kiss like that after. So I suppose you like it?"

Klaus let out a chuckle.

"Like is a massive understatement of what I'm feeling right now. I have no words. None."

She playfully pouted as she stepped back from him and he frowned at the loss of warmth.

"Wow. Even I haven't made you feel like that. Should I be worried about this?"

Klaus laughed.

"No baby. You have all my love."

"Good."

He paused as he looked around still holding her close to him.

"Caroline."

"Hm."

"How did you find this place?"

"Well, I was on the way to the Hamptons last month with Jen for Kat's bachelorette party and all of a sudden our car had a flat tire before this warehouse. We were trying to get the car running again but we obviously had no idea how. That's when we heard music coming out of this building and we thought someone would be here to help us change the tire so we came up here to see this guy painting that wall." She said pointing to the wall that looked a little unfinished.

"Jen and I thought we were intruding on his privacy and were about to leave when he realized our presence. He seemed a little surprised to see us but a little chat explaining our situation and he was nice enough and helped us with our car. We even gave him a ride afterwards. Apparently he lives out in the Hamptons and comes here when he can to paint. Likes the space apparently. As soon as I saw this room I knew you would love it and clearly I was right so I thought why not bring you here as a surprise for your birthday. So I asked him whether it would be okay to bring you here and he said it was fine and that he did art for viewing pleasure anyway."

Klaus looked her a little surprised.

"Wow. The number of times I offered to teach you how to change tires Caroline. And you always declined saying it wasn't necessary. What if the man wasn't here? What would have happened then? Or better yet what if the man was a serial killer or a criminal?" he scolded her lightly.

Caroline rolled her eyes, "I would have called triple A, Nik. Like normal people would. And he wasn't a serial killer."

"But what if he was? You could've been hurt or worse. And besides you wouldn't need to call triple A if you knew how to change a tire." He replied getting agitated.

"Listen I don't want to argue Klaus. Besides would we even be standing here if I knew how to change a tire? Hm?" she said effectively shutting up Klaus.

"I thought so. Let's just enjoy the moment okay? It's your birthday. Let's not ruin it with an argument about something as stupid as a tire."

Klaus sighed. His wife had a valid point. He smiled at her, "You're right."

She returned the smile making his feel a little breathless at the sight.

Both of them settled into a comfortable silence as he felt her near him. He could feel her breath hit his cheek as she spoke like she was telling him a secret.

"I think you found your star."

He smiled at her trying to crack open his brain to find out how he ever got so lucky. She knew he had been trying to find the missing element for his studio and how frustrated he had been lately with work trying to find someone who would bring something new to it and while he was visiting every damn art gallery and school and college art shows finding it to showcase in his studio here was his wife who was the one to show him to it after all.

"Yes but I still have to track him down. Did you happen to get his nu-"

"Way ahead of you big boy." She said dangling her phone in front of his face.

He laughed, "I wouldn't expect anything less from you sweetheart. But I don't know how I feel about emotionally tortured artists giving you their number. Should I be worried? I know you have a type."

She smirked as she thrust her phone into his chest and his hand came up to grab it.

"I did it for you okay."

She stepped close enough so that they had nothing between them and wrapped her arm around his neck, fingers playing with the curly locks on his neck.

Biting her lips she leaned into his ear, "Besides he's well aware I'm a taken woman who has eyes for only one emotionally tortured artist whose ring I adorn on my finger. If you have any doubts about it I can set you straight tonight in bed where you can gorge on dessert. My treat."

His eyes darkened as he felt her around him.

"Glad I have a sweet tooth." He breathed out as she pulled back with her lips inches away from him.

She smirked at him and kissed him squarely on his lips as she pulled away completely and walked away from him swaying her hips in suggestion causing Klaus to groan.

At that sound she turned around with a cheeky smile on her lips and that glint in her eyes again as she said "I'm going to the car. It's getting a little too cold here."

Later on in the night Klaus was tucked into bed under white sheets with his pretty blonde sound asleep, curled up against him. She sure meant it when she said she would set him straight and his birthday had just become all the more better watching his wife get all dressed for him and have her way with him.

He smiled at her sleeping figure enamored by her beauty still. She had a childlike innocence about her and looked serene and sated which Klaus could give himself a pat on the back for.

Just as predicted it was worth it.

XX

A/N

Sending my love to anyone who hasn't given up on my story and still reads it, thank you from the bottom of my heart. I really appreciate it.

I apologize for the slow updates but I did warn you guys haha don't worry I'll still be writing but the updates will be super unpredictable.

Anyway this is another flashback because I wanted to take you back to their past like I mentioned in my last author's note.

Hope you enjoyed it and as always please leave a comment telling me your thoughts.

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-C