The blonde broke their eye contact and half-turned around to face her friends. Stefan was simply staring at her, his face utterly impassive, seemingly awaiting her answer, while vexation was evident in Elena's fiery gaze.
Turning back to Klaus, Caroline's eyes flicked to the floor before she looked up at him once again, parting her lips to speak. Her response, though yet unspoken, hung heavily in the air between them, a silent testament to their complex history. She simply nodded in acceptance.
Triumph and elation surged through Klaus like a tide. He extended his hand to her, and as their fingers met, the weight of a decade's dreams, hopes, and unspoken emotions resonated in that single touch. A wave of electricity went through Caroline's entire body and she shivered slightly. Looking into his eyes, so filled with intensity, Caroline knew Klaus felt the spark too. Needless to say when one of his hands found its way on her waist, it didn't exactly help matters.
They moved towards the dance floor, their bodies falling naturally into rhythm with one another. As their forms moved in fluid harmony, Klaus drank in the sight before him. Caroline looked ethereal, like a celestial being who had descended from the heavens to grace mere mortals with her presence.
The subtle hint of rose on her lips made them look even more tempting and beckoned him. The depth of her eyes told tales of years passed, emotions felt, and experiences lived. Klaus could not have been able to tear his gaze away from her if he had wanted to. He certainly did not have the slightest desire to.
His eyes lingered on the delicate curve of her neck, exposed by her elegant updo, then trailed to the sculpted lines of her shoulders and the exquisite embroidery of her gown's bodice. The allure of her dress only accentuated her regality. It draped her figure in ways that highlighted the gentle curves and contours of her body.
"You look breathtakingly beautiful, love." He complimented in a gentle tone.
The earnest look in his eyes and the vulnerability perceptible in his voice made her heart flutter in a way she hadn't felt in a long time. A shade of red crept into her cheeks, and Caroline briefly averted her eyes from Klaus, a shy smile playing at her lips.
Amused by her uneasiness, Klaus didn't try to hide his smirk but suppressed a light chuckle.
Dressed in a sharp black suit, a crisply ironed white shirt, and a matching bow tie, Klaus looked as dashing as ever. God, her memory definitely did not do him justice.
For a moment, Caroline considered telling him he wasn't too bad-looking himself, but when she noticed the self-assured smirk on his face, the thought simply vanished. The man was cocky enough. There really was no need to stroke his already monumental ego.
Instead, she chose to insert some playfulness into the heavy moment, "I see you're still as cheesy".
"I see you're still as good at receiving compliments" he immediately quipped, unfazed.
Caroline was a fiery spirit, and Klaus was well aware of it. It was one of the myriad reasons he found her irresistible. She was also exceptionally bad at taking compliments, and he suspected that was partially due to her not being used to receiving compliments -a thought that infuriated him.
"Cheesy ones" she replied, raising her eyebrows.
"Truthful ones" he corrected her with a pointed look, briefly halting their dance.
Reassured that she had accepted the genuineness of his compliment by the look in her eyes, Klaus resumed his movements and continued to lead them through the romantic tune. And as they twirled and swayed, lost in each other's gaze, the rest of the room faded in the background, blurring into a cacophony of lights, music, and emotions.
Further in the room, observing the exchange between their best friend and the Original, Elena and Stefan exchanged a look, their respective faces reflecting concern and understanding. They knew the history, the complexity of emotions that tied Caroline and Klaus together. As they watched their friend sway with a man who had once been both a tormentor and a savior, they realized that some connections, however improbable, never truly fade away.
Stefan knew Klaus had feelings for Caroline; you'd have to be as blind as a bat in daylight not to notice. He'd also long accepted that Caroline was not exactly immune to the Original's dark and beguiling charm, whether she was willing to openly acknowledge it or not. The fact remained that he didn't trust the guy. He didn't think Klaus would actually hurt Caroline, but then again, this was Klaus... It was public opinion that an anger management class would be a fantastic idea for him.
Stefan really did see Caroline as his best friend; she reminded him of Lexi, his former best friend whom Damon had killed. However, while Lexi had been an older sister figure, guiding and comforting, Stefan often thought of Caroline as his little sister, someone to watch over and protect.
Objectively, Stefan knew that whatever was going on between Klaus and Caroline was none of his business. But seeing them so close, Klaus' hand on Caroline's waist and his face inches from hers, Stefan couldn't help but feel protective of Caroline. He couldn't stand the thought of the hybrid causing her any pain.
Bonnie and Jeremy, who had joined the couple, were also casting surreptitious glances in Klaus and Caroline's direction. Jeremy did not have much of an opinion on the scene, and his expression reflected that. Ultimately, he trusted that Caroline had good instincts, so he saw no reason to worry.
Elena and Bonnie, however, both looked utterly dumbfounded.
'What the hell is she doing?' they both thought. Last time they checked, the temperature between Caroline and Klaus was lukewarm at best. Elena and Bonnie weren't complete fools: they were well aware that their friend's hostility towards the Original was a tempered blade. In fact, the term "hostility" was somewhat of an understatement to describe how Elena and Bonnie felt about Klaus. "Burning hatred" was slightly more accurate where they were concerned. Then again, they had extremely good reasons to loathe Klaus. This was a man who had not merely disrupted but wreaked utter havoc in their lives, who had cold-bloodedly killed their loved ones, who had shattered their relationships, and who had used them repeatedly against their will. Elena had literally served as his personal blood bag! The memory still sent shivers down her spine.
Granted, Klaus had let them all be for a while now. He had not issued any threats or caused them any harm in recent years, but the fact remained that Klaus was their enemy. Klaus would always be their enemy.
/
Frustrated by the silence that had fallen between them, Klaus was thinking about something to say in order to break it. Time was a cruel master, taunting him with its inexorable march. He didn't know how much of it he would have with the beautiful blonde who had enraptured him so completely. He didn't know how much time the beautiful blonde was going to stay in town, and he didn't know how much time he was going to get to spend with her while she was here. Therefore, even though he didn't mind merely staring at Caroline, he really wanted to make the most of their time together and actually talk.
"I saw you got broody over there to smile." he eventually said, nodding towards Stefan.
Caroline laughed at Stefan's nickname and reflexively, Klaus joined in on her laughter.
That was the thing about Caroline. She had a beauty that radiated from the inside out. It wasn't just something to behold; it was something to feel. She had this unique light, a luminous aura that enveloped everyone around her, commanding their attention, making it impossible not to notice her. When one heard her laugh, they couldn't help but laugh with her.
Once he managed to get his laughter under control, an unguarded emotion slipped past Klaus' lips, a confession born of longing. "God, I missed that laugh of yours." He let out. And he truly had.
He had missed her smile, he had missed her laugh, he had missed her feistiness, he had missed the way her beautiful eyes sparkled whenever she was happy or excited, he had missed her light… He had missed everything about her.
Realizing his admission, Klaus stopped moving for a heartbeat, mentally kicking himself for his slip. He feared she would mock him. Indeed if there was one thing he hadn't missed about the gorgeous blonde, it was her rejection. But he quickly resumed the dance, his movements smooth but guarded.
Unfortunately for him, Caroline noticed his momentary discomfort, and it was her turn to smile lightly in satisfaction. Though, she chose not to comment on it.
"What can I say?" She shrugged in response to his first remark, her voice playful and her eyes alight with mischief. "He adores me."
The way she said it, with such a casual self-assurance and the glint of teasing in her eyes, was so Caroline-like. He looked down at her, his eyes narrowing slightly, a smirk playing at the corner of his mouth. "He's not the only one," he murmured, his voice almost a whisper, but filled with a sincerity that resonated between them.
Caroline looked up at him, her eyes intent, searching his face for something. A hint of doubt, a sign of insincerity, anything that would let her dismiss his words as mere flattery. But all she found was the truth, raw and unfiltered. She could see it in his eyes, feel it in the way he held her. Klaus meant what he said.
The fact that they were surrounded by a bunch of vampires with amazing hearing added more weight and vulnerability to his words. The realization struck Caroline with a force that left her breathless, and a complex mix of emotions began to swirl within her. Surprise, confusion, elation, a flicker of hope, and an undeniable attraction that she had tried so hard to suppress.
She opened her mouth to say something, anything to break the spell that had been cast over them, but no words came.
/
Meanwhile, Rebekah and Matt - though mostly Rebekah - were staring at Klaus and Caroline when her older brother joined them.
"Kol! Where is Elijah?" she asked as soon as she noticed him, looking for her eldest brother among the crowd.
As he looked in the same direction Matt and his sister had been a few moments before, Kol's lips twisted into a sly smirk. "He didn't come. He didn't want to." He simply responded.
"And you couldn't make him?!" Rebekah exclaimed, an annoyed expression ruining her face.
Kol turned to face his younger sister, his eyes flashing. "Have you ever tried to get Elijah to do something he doesn't want to?" She was pissing him off already.
Rebekah just huffed and focused back her attention on her favorite brother and the blonde he was so desperately and to no avail trying to woo for what felt like decades to her now while her mind drifting to thoughts of her eldest brother and the family dynamics that often left her exasperated.
The only Mikaelson female expected her eldest brother not to come to the party: Elijah hated this sort of parties. Hell, he hated all sorts of gatherings. He was always oh so serious, and he had never been very sociable, not that she could say any better of herself. Still, Rebekah found herself hoping he would join them in the middle of events.
She remembered that even as kids, it was difficult to get him to sit at the table and eat with the rest of the family –if it weren't for their father, Mikael, he probably wouldn't have. In this trait of character, Elijah and Klaus are more alike than they think, she thought.
Except for the spectacle of Klaus acting exasperatingly adorable to Caroline and the latter being oddly receptive, Rebekah was genuinely enjoying the party. Indeed, she had shared a couple of dances with her awesome boyfriend, Matt, Stefan had said a few kind words to her, and Bonnie had greeted her nicely. As for Elena, well… they had yet to say disagreeable things to each other. That had to count for something.
Overall, the night was shaping up quite nicely.
/
Once all the guests had settled into the grand ballroom, late in the evening, Carol Lockwood gracefully took center stage, capturing everyone's attention with a poised wave of her hand. She raised her glass high, her eyes sparkling with pride, and made a heartfelt toast in honor of the founder's families. Her voice, rich and resonant, praised them for their virtuous deeds and charitable hearts. She also publicly acknowledged Elena's invaluable assistance in preparing the event, to which the crowd responded with appreciative applause. Elena, blushing slightly, acknowledged the gesture with a gracious smile. Carol concluded her speech by thanking everyone for coming and proclaiming how proud she was to be part of the founder's families' heritage.
Once the applause had subsided and the gentle murmur of conversation resumed, Klaus turned to Caroline, his eyes seeking hers. They were still standing next to one another in the crowd. "So how have you been these past seven years?" Klaus asked Caroline once Carol was done with her toast.
They were still standing next to one another in the crowd.
"As if you don't know" the blonde responded, her voice tinged with slight contempt.
Klaus was a bit taken aback by by Caroline's accusatory tone. He was hurt that she still thought so low of him. "Does she really believe I had someone follow her and report back to me after she explicitly asked me not to?!" he wondered.
Anger and frustration battled within him, and he responded, his voice biting, "I don't, Caroline." He paused, letting the words hang in the air. "I listened to your demand, and I don't."
The tumult of emotions that flashed through Klaus' eyes –anger, disappointment, hurt –didn't go unnoticed by Caroline and she instantly felt bad for inspiring them "I have been good. Thank you." she finally answered, her voice softening. "How about you?"
"I have been okay. Thank you." he replied before adding with a smirk, "Of course that state has drastically changed to good the minute I saw you. But I guess I've made that quite obvious, haven't I?"
Caroline's eyes sparkled as she rolled them in response, but she couldn't ignore the fluttering sensation his words stirred in her stomach. From the corner of her eyes, she spotted Elena shooting daggers at her from across the room. Tension gripped her body, and guilt gnawed at her.
"Um, if you'll excuse me, I should really get back to my friends now." She told Klaus.
He nodded in understanding although mild disappointment was reflected in his eyes. "Certainly."
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