The Love We Never Got To See

Once again, Elijah stopped at another building, but this time he drew closer than before, his fingertips tracing lightly across the weathered stone, a far-off look on his face as he spoke to one in particular.

“I remember this place,” he commented softly with a reminiscent smile. “Oh, it has certainly been some time since I have last been here, let alone see it. I am surprised to see it still standing, though, after all these years. It has certainly fared better than I thought it would.”

He turned slightly toward Klaus, now speaking to him. “Do you remember the last time we were here?” he asked.

Klaus released an annoyed breath, already fed up with Elijah’s continued questions. “Are you going to continue regaling me on the past, or are you going to tell me why you left?”

“Yes, brother, I will. I suppose I have held up your time long enough,” Elijah answered reluctantly, attempting a small smile as he continued. “I assume you hope to return home to Caroline soon?”

Elijah walked towards a nearby bench a few yards away, not expecting an answer from his brother. When he reached the bench, he sat down with a heavy sigh, seemingly exhausted, as if the simple action of sitting down had tired him immensely.

Klaus walked towards him, taking a seat on the other end of the bench, simultaneously keeping an eye on Elijah and his surroundings. Instead of leaning back on the bench as he had done earlier at the bar, he sat at the edge, ready to defend himself at any sign of deception or danger—and yet managed to look completely relaxed, even bored, to any passerby.

The two sat in silence for a moment. Elijah, presumably preparing himself on what to say, and Klaus, well, he was waiting. It hadn’t been long since he had last seen him, but it felt as if it had been centuries. The thought certainly felt absurd, especially considering he was used to his siblings running off and leaving him on his own, but this time somehow felt different.

They no longer had any enemies, at least none that held any genuine threat against them. No one could cause their family any harm, and, as surprising as it might seem, he hadn’t done anything particularly awful to merit the sudden disappearance.

Now that he was here, finally about to learn the reason why Elijah left, Klaus couldn’t help but feel apprehensive about Elijah’s explanation.

Slowly his focus began to wan from his brother, different thoughts began to bombard his brain. An internal struggle took the forefront of his mind, trying to hide his true thoughts and feelings about the matter, so much so that he didn’t notice the flicker of change in Elijah’s expression, but it was too late. By the time Klaus composed himself and looked back at his brother, Elijah had quickly concealed his face into an unreadable mask before he could notice it.

“Do you remember the last time we saw each other?” Elijah asked, breaking the silence.

“I remember that day quite clearly,” Klaus answered evenly, stubbornly refusing to let Elijah understand his feelings on the matter, but bitterness still seeped through in his response.

 Elijah looked off at nothing in particular for a moment, gathering himself and his thoughts before looking back at his younger brother again and releasing a heavy sigh.

“Niklaus,” he began. “Do you have any idea at all why I left?”

His jaw clenched in frustration, biting out his answer harshly. “If I did, I wouldn’t be here.”

Elijah’s eyes glanced down. “Well,” he began, swallowing thickly as his hands ran through his hair slowly in an unconscious manner, leaving his hair in disarray as he processed how to start. “The night of our argument, a while after you left, I learned that,” he shook his head, dispelling whatever he was initially going to say. “I ah, remembered something, and as cowardice, as I know it was, I needed some time to process it. I never meant to leave as long as I had, Niklaus. I only required some time alone before returning.”

“And what information was that?” Klaus asked.

“What?”

“This surprising knowledge you suddenly remembered, that in the short span of time I was gone, caused you to leave,” Klaus asked, attempting a casual tone, lifting his hands in a questioning gesture as he did so.

He hesitated.

“Elijah.”

“Why should I say anything at all?” Elijah asked. “It’s obvious that regardless of what I say to you, your opinion will not change.”

When Klaus didn’t reply, Elijah continued. “I think I have taken enough of your time.” He stood, dusting himself off as he did so. “It is of my understanding that Caroline is waiting for you at our old home, correct? You would not want to keep her waiting, would you? New Orleans is still a dangerous place, especially for someone as young as her.”

Klaus quickly stood, ready to attack his brother at his thinly veiled threat towards Caroline, but it was too late. Elijah had already flashed off, leaving him alone.

He stood frozen at an impasse, his eyes darting between two places, two choices hovering over him. Each of them was like a steel chain, a rope pulling him in two different directions, one towards his brother and another towards home.

While he wanted to head toward wherever his brother had flashed off to and demand more information, Elijah’s thinly veiled threat still hung heavily over him. The threat against his love left him no choice but to head towards home, to her, and hope against all odds that she was safe, that he wasn’t at fault for sending her home without him to protect her. 

***

A comforting feeling of relief washed over him when he arrived in front of his house. The door was firmly shut, unlike in his many visions when rushing over, where it was wide open. He could also see no signs of a break-in or forced entry as far as he could tell, though he still kept in mind to tread carefully as he entered.

“Sweetheart,” he called, shutting the door with a gentle push.

No answer.

The short feeling of relief he felt quickly vanished, a cold fear replacing it. It had been centuries since he had felt genuine fear, a true sense of dread, and now it was washing over him, engulfing him in its steel grip. His heart thumped rapidly in his chest, the sound echoing in his ears at every step as he walked further into the house.

“Caroline,” he called out louder, his voice wavering slightly, giving away his worry.

When he didn’t hear the soothing sound of her voice in response, her words comforting him and alleviating any worry he had, he rushed up the stairs. Elijah’s words thrummed in his mind, his earlier threat a vervain-like vice attempting to choke out any remnant of hope he had. He quickly walked up the steps toward their bedroom, still needing to know, holding onto that brief vestige of hope that she would be okay. She had to be; she will be.

When he reached their room, he noticed the oak door slightly ajar, a dim light emanating from it. He inched closer to the door. His steps slowed, careful not to make a sound as he prepared himself for the painstaking truth.

As he reached the door, he pushed it open in a rush, unable to wait any longer to know if he would see her. The previous fear and dread he felt vanished, draining away, in a short breath when he saw her.

Across the room, Caroline sat in front of a white vanity – one that he had bought her only recently after her continued insistence – with her feet tucked underneath her. She lounged against a plush chair, a hairbrush in hand, as she gently combed through her hair. Music could faintly be heard from her earbuds, explaining her lack of response.

Klaus watched the scene with a fond smile, his relief almost tangible as he leaned against the threshold of their bedroom door. His eyes softened as he watched her readying herself for bed, her eyes closed and mouth slightly parted as she mouthed whatever song she was listening to happily.

After watching her for a moment, he pushed off the door’s threshold, stepping closer to her. And while his steps were quiet, muffled by the carpeted floor, she seemed to have heard him regardless. She opened her eyes, meeting his gaze from the mirror’s reflection, and took her earbuds out.

“Klaus!” she smiled at him, tilting her head back to look up at him from her chair as he stood behind it.

“Hello, my love,” he greeted, smiling as he leaned down, kissing her lightly on the nose and causing a delightful laugh to fall from her lips.

“So, how did it go?” she asked, spinning around from her chair to face him and smiling brightly at him as she stood up.

Klaus’s mood soured slightly at the reminder of his earlier chat with Elijah. He didn’t know how to explain it, or it was more that he didn’t know how to explain without making that hopeful smile on her face fade. If he told her of his suspicions that Elijah most likely held ill intentions toward him, that smile she was giving him right now would fall. And he didn’t know if he could bring himself to be the cause.

Unsure of what else to do, he stepped closer to her, cupping her face tenderly as his fingers softly stroked the skin of her cheek. He slowly raised his hand higher, his fingers weaving into her hair as he leaned down to kiss her, hoping that he could distract her from her question.

At each kiss, Klaus pulled her closer, his hands not freeing her from his hold as if she would disappear if he let go for even a second.

Even after all the time they had spent together, all the beautiful moments they shared, he was still afraid. It was frightening to have Caroline here with him, someone he loved so dearly, and fear that she might leave him. Any moment she could decide that this was all a mistake, that he had made one too many mistakes, and she regretted the time they spent together and wouldn’t stay with him any longer.

As if sensing his thoughts, Caroline responded to his kiss with equal fervor, her hands wrapping around his neck and her fingers winding into his curls, pulling him closer as well.

After a few minutes in the other’s embrace, Caroline began slowing the kiss down. With one last lingering peck, she placed a gentle hand on his shoulder to discourage him from reconnecting their lips. She stayed in his embrace for a moment longer, resting her forehead against his as she caught her breath before backing away.

“As much as I may like that,” she said with a crooked smile, “you’re avoiding my question.”

“Now, why would you suggest a thing like that, my love,” he asked, reaching his hand out to grasp hers. With a gentle tug, he pulled her towards him, hoping to tempt her once again into kissing him and forgetting his conversation with Elijah entirely.

Caroline laughed as she stumbled towards Klaus, her body colliding with his chest. His arms quickly wrapped around her, trapping her in his embrace as he nosed at her neck lovingly, causing another series of laughs to come out.

“Seriously, Klaus, come on, tell me,” she asked. “How did it go?”

He reluctantly backed away from their embrace with a quiet sigh. The comforting warmth of her embrace leaving him as his smile dropped slightly, losing its previous sincerity.

“What do you want me to say?”

Caroline’s eyes furrowed, presumably noticing the distance he had created between them before stepping closer.

“Did you find out what happened?” she asked, reaching her hand out to grasp his forearm. “Did he tell you why he left? What did he say?”  

His body tensed under her touch, the gesture not the soothing comfort she thought it would be. He casually crossed his arms, freeing his forearm from her touch.

“Nothing of importance,” he answered shortly. “He insistently kept asking me questions about the city, and when the time came for him to finally explain himself, he couldn’t even do that.”

“Elijah knows how much you love this city, Klaus,” Caroline rolled her eyes with a smile. “He just wanted to find out how you were doing.”

Klaus’s eyes narrowed. “And how exactly did you come to that conclusion?”

“It’s been a while since you guys last talked, so obviously, he didn’t want to go straight into talking about your last fight,” she explained as if the notion was obvious. “Seriously, Klaus, he means well.”

“How do you figure that?” he asked, stalking closer to her.

Caroline rolled her eyes again, slightly exasperated with his paranoia. “Not everyone is out to get you, you know. Elijah called me a few weeks ago, asking me something about Bonnie since he couldn’t find her. I told him I didn’t know anything since, at the time, I was in New Orleans with a certain Original Hybrid,” she gave him a pointed look and a smile. “After that, he just started asking me some questions about you, wondering how you were doing. He felt bad about leaving you, Klaus; he was just trying to find the right time to come back.”

“What did he want with Bonnie?”

She raised a brow. “That’s what you took out of it? Of course, that’s what you took out of it,” she muttered, shaking her head slightly. “I don’t know, okay? When he called, he just told me he needed a favor from her, but he didn’t tell me what it was.”

“So, Elijah called you?”

“Yeah, so,” she shrugged.

Klaus let out a frustrated growl at her nonchalance. “You don’t see it, do you?” he asked, stalking closer to her. “Who’s idea was it for me and Elijah’s little meet-up?”

“It was his, but I don’t think—”

“Yes, you don’t think,” Klaus growled lowly. He swiftly turned away from her, his face contorting with frustration at her naivety of the situation. How could she not see it?! He let out a short puff of air, trying to calm down, but it felt fruitless. When he turned around to face her, his growing anger was still prominent on his features, but Caroline interrupted him before he had a chance to continue.

Caroline let out an annoyed huff, rolling her eyes. “Seriously, what is with you, Klaus? Why are you making this such a big deal?”

“I am doing no—”

"Yes, you are," she argued, lifting her hands to gesture at him. "You're making it sound as if Elijah's here because he has some nefarious plan against you."

Klaus let out an incredulous sigh, tilting his head slightly, "It would not be the first time my brother tried to kill me."

Her eyebrows furrowed slightly in thought. "Well, yeah, but that was all a long time ago. Elijah hasn't tried to kill you in years." She smiled a bit at her words. "Why don't you give him a chance?"

"Why are you being so adamant about me mending my relationship with Elijah?" Klaus asked, pursing his lips slightly in frustration.

"I don't know," she responded sarcastically. "Maybe it's because he's your brother?"

"I know very well what he is to me."

"Urgh," Caroline let out an annoyed breath. "Why do you have to be so unbelievably stubborn? Can't you, for just one second, believe that someone isn't trying to kill you?"

"I'll believe it the minute I'm actually given reason to," Klaus answered. "And why do you even think he isn't? I've known him for far longer than you have. It wouldn't be that much of a surprise as to that's the reason why he's here."

“Okay, if you don’t trust Elijah, trust me,” Caroline asked, stepping closer to him. Her hands reached out and grasped his cheeks, focusing his eyes on her as she spoke. “Elijah isn’t here to hurt you,” she assured. “You’re safe.”

He tilted his head slightly, loosening her grasp before backing away. “I didn’t survive this long on trust.”

After he spoke, he walked past her, heading toward the dresser behind her, not waiting to see if she would respond. Once he reached the dresser, he opened each drawer, briefly rummaging through the items before pulling out an article of clothing and pushing the drawer shut.

When a few minutes had passed, and he had begun to think Caroline had given up on the conversation, she spoke, her voice slowly getting louder as she walked closer to him. “Klaus, come on, for as I’ve known you, you’ve always been big on family sticking together.”

She stepped into his line of sight when he didn’t respond. “What is it you always say to each other?” she asked, tilting her head with a smile. “Family, always and forever?”

Klaus dropped his clothes on the dresser with a sigh, realizing that Caroline wouldn’t be letting go of this particular topic anytime soon as he turned toward her.

“Yes,” he responded. “We did, but my siblings and I made that promise more than a millennia ago and broke it more than a dozen times since then.”

“But things are different now,” she argued.

“How?” he asked, huffing in disbelief. “How can things possibly be different now?”

“Well, for one, Ester and Mikael are finally dead for good this time,” she pointed out. “You guys don’t have to run anymore.”

Klaus ran his hand through his hair, mussing up the strands in his sheer frustration. “Things aren’t that simple, Caroline.”

“Then explain it!” she implored. “Why can’t you forgive Elijah? You’ve forgiven him for far worse things before, but now suddenly, he leaves, and you’re all, ‘Elijah is out to get me,’ when you literally have no reason to believe that.”

“I have no reason to? You don’t think it’s strange Elijah called you and ‘coincidentally’ began asking you questions regarding me?” Klaus asked, raising a brow. “I mean, is it not obvious that Elijah would have searched Mystic Falls beforehand if he was trying to locate your friend Bonnie,” Klaus explained. “And yet he was surprised to hear you weren’t there.”

“No,” she denied with a slight shake of her head. “He was surprised that I was in New Orleans.”

“Then why did he need to come here?” Klaus argued. “Since he apparently found out everything he needed to know about me from you, he had no reason to come.”

“Oh, my gosh, Klaus,” Caroline groaned in exasperation. “Elijah’s your brother; he’s not going to kill you!”

“He tried to before.”

Caroline threw her hands up in frustration before letting her arms fall against her sides with a groan. “Because he thought you threw your daggered siblings in the ocean.

“Are you on his side?”

“I’m on nobody’s side.”

He scoffed at her words, eyes drifting away from her and turning toward the dresser beside him before opening the top drawer. As his hands rummaged through the items inside, he spoke softly, muttering his next words to himself, “Well, it sounds like you are.”

“What are you implying?” she asked, her tone wary, obviously picking up on his words.

“I’m not implying anything.”

“Yes, you are,” Caroline insisted, catching his line of sight. “You’re making it sound as if I brought Elijah here because of some crazy plot against you.”

When he didn’t respond or promptly deny her accusation, she took another step closer, studying the expression on his face closely, searching for something. After a brief moment, he knew she had found it even before she spoke.

Her face slowly fell, shock spreading across her features in realization as she took a step back in disbelief. “Oh, my gosh, you’re actually thinking that right now, aren’t you? Why can’t you trust me?!”

“I trust you plenty,” he responded, turning fully to face her.

Klaus saw her roll her eyes in response, releasing a quiet scoff at his words before crossing her arms in front of her. “Not enough to think I won’t kill you, apparently,”

“You can’t expect that thought not to cross my mind,” he said, sighing and rolling his eyes in a familiar way, such as she did. “especially considering all the times you betrayed my trust in the past.”

“Yes, in the past,” Caroline raised her hands as she spoke, trying to emphasize her point. As she continued, her voice slowly began to rise to a shout in her rage. “I wouldn’t do that now!”

“It doesn’t erase the fact that you did before,” Klaus retorted, his voice beginning to rise as well to match her volume.

At his rising volume, Caroline’s voice grew louder, trying to overpower his as she shouted back angrily, “If you think so little of me, then why did you even bother to invite me here?!”

“I never thought you’d actually come!”

His words seemed to echo throughout the room. A silence slowly began to descend among them as the weight of his words finally sunk in, and a freezing realization came over him upon their impact.

“Sweetheart—”

“No,” she said, her voice soft as she interrupted him, clearly contrasting to the volume she was speaking in earlier. “Just no.”

Caroline shook her head slightly, a small breath of laughter falling from her lips, the previous melodic sound now twinged in sorrow. “I can’t believe I was stupid enough to believe that you—”

Her voice broke off, the sentence falling away and left unfinished, but his mind was already filling in the blanks. Thousands of different endings to that sentence filled his mind, trying to complete whatever unknown ending she was about to say.

“I didn’t mean it,” Klaus said, trying to rectify the situation.

“Oh,” she laughed again. “I think you did.”

He looked away briefly, his eyes drifting toward the far window. A curtain blocked most of the glass, shielding it from view, but a faint glow still shined through, bathing the drape in its warm light.

“I meant I didn’t believe you would come here so soon,” Klaus corrected, his eyes connecting with hers.

Caroline’s eyes narrowed at his excuse, her lips curling into a scowl as she spoke, “Don’t think you can change your words, and everything will be fine. You didn’t want me here, Klaus. You don’t even trust me!”

“It’s not that long ago that you were plotting with your friends on how to get rid of me,” he argued.

“And it’s not that long ago that you tried to kill me,” Caroline retorted. “We’re not the same people anymore. I’m not the same person I was back in Mystic Falls, and you’re not the same either. We changed,” she paused, her eyes drifting down as her voice softened. “but obviously, you don’t see it that way.”

In the past, their arguments had always felt similar to fire. Every word, whether it was screamed or yelled, seemed to burn through him, her anger toward him only fanning the flames to his own. Now, though, it didn’t feel like that. As quickly as the flames came, they soon disappeared, an icy chill replacing them. Her words left behind a foreign chill, the strange feeling drifting over him and freezing him to his spot.

Once she finished speaking, she walked past him, heading toward their closet without a glance at him. The action caused him to snap out of whatever shock he was in earlier, but that foreign chill still remained, fear beginning to crawl over him about what she might be doing.

“What are you doing?” he asked.

As Klaus walked toward her, he heard the sounds of hangers as they flitted against the wall and clothes rustling before she responded. “I’m leaving.”

“What?!”

He rushed into the closet upon hearing her words. When he entered, he watched as she meticulously grabbed an item of clothing before stuffing them in a bag. His eyes drifted toward her hands, still grabbing clothing, not even looking up at him at his arrival.

“You can’t leave.”

“I can’t leave,” she repeated, looking up at him at his words and raising a brow in disbelief. “Why can’t I leave, or better yet, why should I stay? You don’t trust me not to do the bare minimum of not trying to kill you, and anyway, you didn’t even want me here in the first place.”

“I explained—”

“You explained nothing,” Caroline snarled as she dropped her bag and strode toward him. “You either wanted me here, or you didn’t. All your talk of how I wouldn’t be ready means nothing. You can say all you want about how ‘you think I wasn’t ready,’ but in reality, you weren’t, and I don’t think I should be here when you aren’t.”

“But I’m ready now,” he exclaimed, hoping that might make a difference.

“But I’m not!” she cried. “I’m not ready anymore! When I came here, I was. I was ready to be your last love and travel the world with you, and I honestly thought you were ready to do the same. I don’t think I can stay here and keep wondering when you’ll finally stop thinking the worst of me, imagining that I would ever want to hurt you.”

Caroline shook her head, letting out a shuddering breath as she continued. “How do you expect me to wake up every morning with you when all I’ll keep thinking about is the day you invited me here? Every day, I’m going to keep wondering whether you meant any of your words.” She took a step back, shakily shaking her head. “I just, I just can’t stay.”

His mind blanked at her confession, a faint warmth beginning to brim underneath his eyes, warning him of the tears that would fall as he looked at her. He didn’t know how to respond or convince her. All he knew, all he wanted, was for her to stay.

“Please,” he asked, tears stinging his eyes.

Caroline shut her eyes tightly, avoiding his eyes as she sucked in a shuddering breath. “Klaus,” she began.

“Please, love,” he begged, grasping her forearm as if he could hold her there by sheer will. “Please.”

She looked down at his hand holding her before lifting her eyes toward his. He could see the tears falling from her eyes, the droplets rolling down her cheeks as she looked at him. His grip on her arm tightened as he silently begged with his eyes, apologizing for anything and everything if only she would stay. Everyone left him, and he desperately didn’t want her to be added to the list.

“I’m sorry,” she whispered.

Caroline tugged her arm away from him, holding it close as her other hand grasped her bag, quickly breezing past him. Klaus followed after her, trying to match her pace as she strode across the room to the door.

“Caroline,” Klaus called out, his voice soft, desperate, as he tried to attempt once more to see if she would stay.

She didn’t turn around this time, though, her back stubbornly facing him as she stood at the threshold. As he began to walk toward her hoping to face her, she spoke, halting his movement.

“I’m sorry.”

“Yes, of course, Caroline,” Elijah smiled, nodding slightly in acceptance.

“Do you want to join us?” Caroline asked, stepping aside and gesturing to the seat beside her.

Before he could respond, Elijah caught his brother’s fierce gaze; eyes narrowed as he watched him behind Caroline. The glare was prominent on his face, showing his utter displeasure with the idea of him even considering sitting beside her, and a warning if he were to accept it.

Caroline, assumedly noticing Elijah’s hesitancy to respond, turned towards Klaus. As his eyes met hers, he recognized that oh-so-familiar glare she was sending him and quickly schooled his features in response. Klaus sent her a small smile, masking his face into the picture of innocence, but her glare only hardened, her head tilting slightly in a warning. Even without words, her eyes expressed everything, conveying what she wanted and the consequences if he didn’t.

The exchange between the two barely lasted a few seconds, but it was enough to make a small smile appear on Elijah’s face at his brother’s expression, not that it was noticed.

When his brother finally turned back, however, Elijah’s smile wavered, falling into a frown as he took in Klaus, watching him with narrowed eyes shrouded with mistrust. “Niklaus,” he began hesitantly but then faltered, unsure how to continue.

Even with Caroline’s silent warning, Klaus continued to watch Elijah without a word. His eyes dragged over his brother’s appearance, taking in the entirety of him with a critical look as if he was trying to find some detail or unseen change to show the time that had passed since they last saw each other, but he could find none.

“So,” Caroline said, drawing the word out in an uplifting lilt. “Elijah, how was your flight? Not too long, I hope,” she joked, letting out an awkward laugh as she tried to diffuse the growing tension between the two brothers.

“Yes, brother, how was the flight?” Klaus interrupted before Elijah could answer, glowering. “I do hope it wasn’t that much of an inconvenience.

Elijah turned towards Klaus, some tension slowly ebbing as he spoke. “It was truly no trouble, brother. I was,” a slight pause. “I was hoping to see you again.”

Klaus continued to eye him mistrustfully, “I can’t say I hold the same opinion.”

Caroline quietly hissed his name in warning, pushing him slightly in irritation. “Your arrival was a bit of a surprise for him,” she explained to Elijah, smiling apologetically, before looking somewhat sheepish as she continued. “I may not have told him you were coming.”

“I expected as much.” Elijah chuckled. “No worries, Caroline. When I returned, I assumed my arrival would not be the joyous reunion I hoped it would be.”

Klaus let out an exasperated sigh, tired of hearing his brother’s words. “What did you expect?” he snarled. He raised a clenched fist at Elijah. “You show your face after months of no contact whatsoever, not even so much as a farewell note in your suddenly bare bedroom.” With every point, Klaus raised a finger from his fist, and his voice only grew louder and angrier. “And then there was that particular argument we had that night where you—”

“Niklaus!” Elijah interrupted hastily, his eyes darting around the room as if someone could have overheard him, his gaze lingering on Caroline’s distracted form a tad too long for Klaus’s liking before looking back at him. “There is a reason why I left, even as hasty as I did, and I will explain it, just not here.”

Klaus’ voice lowered to a predatory whisper, his eyes narrowing as he leaned closer to Elijah. “And why pray tell is that?” he asked, tilting his head slightly in question.

Elijah didn’t answer his question with words, instead eyeing his brother with a particularly familiar look as he tried to convey a silent request to his brother.

Klaus’ scowl intensified, recognizing that look and what his brother wanted from him. He let out an incredulous scoff before sending Elijah a short nod in reluctant acceptance. Without turning from his brother, though, being careful to keep his eyes on Elijah as he spoke, he called out Caroline’s name. His expression still scrunched up in thinly veiled anger, his voice hard as he said, “Caroline.”

The girl in question turned towards him, and though he could not see her from where he was sitting, he could already imagine the questioning smile she was sending him.

“Yes?”

His fingers clenched into fists, his nails digging into his flesh as he breathed in deeply, fighting off his instincts, his want to keep her here with him, to keep her safe by his side.

“How about you head back to the house? I’ll be there in a bit.” The last sentence was every bit of a reassurance to her as it was to him. A reminder that he’ll see her again and that nothing would happen.

“Klaus,” she began to protest.

“Now.”

Her eyes narrowed in anger at him, clearly displeased with his tone of voice, and though he couldn’t see the glare she was giving him, he could feel the intensity of her stare zeroed in at the back of his head.

He turned towards her, reluctant at first to take his eyes off of Elijah, but when his eyes met her own, they softened, regardless of the glare she was still giving him, and when he spoke, his tone softened as well. “Please, love,”

Caroline’s glare slowly dropped, a reluctant smile replacing it as she stood up, but before leaving, she leaned towards him, giving him a gentle kiss goodbye. “Stay safe, okay?”

“Now, sweetheart, what fun would that be,” he responded quietly, a teasing smile gracing the hybrid’s face as he looked up at her.

Her eyes darted down quickly as she let out a small laugh, face scrunching up in amusement, before looking back at him seriously with a pointed finger. “I mean it, Klaus. I do not want to see you later coming home covered in blood or hearing about some weird animal attack tomorrow morning.”

“So, what you’re saying is as long as I’m discreet—” Klaus started with a mischievous smile as he raised a brow in question.

“You know exactly what I mean, Klaus.” She responded unamused.

He let out an overdramatic sigh, making a show of  looking as if he was debating over the decision before responding with faux annoyance, “If I must.” 

She shook her head slightly, amused at his antics as her smile widened. “I’ll be waiting for you in our room when you get back,” she spoke suggestively, giving him a slow kiss. His lips turned to a sly smirk at her suggestion before she continued. “And I want to hear all about how your talk with your brother went.” She smiled as she gave him one last kiss, this time on his cheek, before leaving.

Klaus’s eyes followed her form as she left, smiling softly as he watched her figure slowly disappear, becoming swallowed by a crowd of people and, eventually, the night. Still, it was only when he could no longer hear the soothing sounds of her slowed heartbeat did his eyes leave the door.

Elijah watched the scene in interest, noticing how his brother’s demeanor changed completely when he was with this girl and how his eyes seemed to radiate with joy when he was in her presence, which surprised him and made him wonder how he had not recognized it sooner.

When his brother turned around completely, meeting his eyes, the smile he was wearing lost its sheen, becoming bitter, and the once bright eyes hardened, leaving the previously joyful man unrecognizable.

“So,” Elijah began as he sat on the stool beside him, gesturing his head slightly towards the door where Caroline had left only moments ago. “Caroline—”

“Don’t,” Klaus warned before his brother could finish. “You said you would give your reasoning for leaving, but I did not stay for pleasantries and brotherly bonding.”

The irritation was clear in his voice, in the way he bit out those last words as if the idea alone angered him and was unbelievable, leaving Elijah no doubt that his brother had no intention of mending their ‘brotherly bond’ any time soon.

The expectant expression Klaus sent him, coupled with his relaxed demeanor and the casual hold on his drink, would have fooled any other. But Elijah knew his brother and his ticks, and the soft, rhythmic sound of his fingers as they unknowingly tapped the glass gave away his anxiousness.

“Brother, why don’t we go outside and walk along the streets as we talk?” Elijah asked. “I remember hearing much about how you loved the city and its sights.”

“I’m in no mood for sightseeing, brother.”

Elijah stood up regardless, opening up his suit jacket as he did so and pulling out a few bills, placing them beside his untouched glass; then, without looking back at his brother, he began to walk out.

Klaus’s irritation flared at his brother’s action. The mere thought that his brother believed he would merely follow him around like a mere child does without any explanation was unbelievable.

The fleeting thought of going back home came to mind. It would undoubtedly be more enjoyable, he thought. A smirk rose to his face, a lot more enjoyable. It would not be challenging to come up with some lie to appease Caroline, and what he knew would be endless questions concerning how it went. Still, knowing her, she would simply call Elijah to confirm it. He would rather suffer a few hours with him than endure whatever creative punishment Caroline comes up with because merciful his Queen was not—at least not when she was really angry.

So, with a heavy sigh, he quickly downed his drink, setting it down roughly on the counter before hurrying to catch up with Elijah.

***

A cold breeze blew at him as he exited, the wind sending a chill through those around him, making everyone except him tighten their coats around them to combat the weather. From the time he had entered the bar, the temperature had dropped from pleasant to chilling.

Klaus’s eyes darted to the faces around him when he exited, his gaze scanning among the few patrons who were outside near the entrance, looking for Elijah. The young men and women near the door were intoxicated, laughing and rambling nonsense to their fellow friends without care. Their friends watched with a smile, amused at their antics as if this were a daily occurrence, as they ushered them away.

He moved his gaze away from the front, his eyes searching among the throng of people. All the residents who walked by were bundled up tightly in their coats as they walked around together, enjoying the city’s lively nightlife.

The minutes began to pass, but he still grew no closer to finding his brother. When he started to think his brother had left him yet again, he turned to head back in the direction of home, not wanting to bother searching for his brother once again; a noise alerted him.

As he turned towards the noise, he noticed his brother Elijah hidden in a corner outside the bar, talking to someone on the phone. The corner allowed him a rare privacy, one that few could find from any supernatural being who wished to overhear with all the people around him. However, Klaus still walked closer, straining his hearing in hopes that he could overhear the conversation, but just as he got close enough to begin to hear, his brother noticed him and quickly hung up.

“There you are,” Elijah said, a calm smile coming to his face as he walked towards him. “I was beginning to think you would not come.”

“Who were you talking to?” Klaus asked, gesturing to the phone in Elijah’s hand.

“No one of importance,” Elijah answered, putting his phone in his suit jacket. “Come, I believe I promised you an explanation.”

Klaus walked towards his brother; his steps slowed. “And where are we going?”

Elijah took in his brother’s wary expression, smiling amusedly at him in response. “Worried, brother, that I may have ill intentions towards you? Do not worry; I promise I’ll get you back safe with Caroline in no time.”

“Yes, now why should I believe that?” Klaus asked.

“Because Niklaus,” Elijah began as he looked intently at his brother. “You are still my brother, and I’ll always have your best interests at heart, even if you do not see it.”

Klaus glanced back at Caroline, wondering why she had suddenly stopped, but realized why when he noticed her captivated look. As he turned his head, following her line of sight, he saw her watching a small band made up of merely three young men playing songs on various instruments. The gentleman couldn’t have been more than nineteen, but the expertise they held as they played made them seem decades older. The melody they were playing was slow and held a certain melancholic sadness that seemed to make everyone who passed them stop for a moment and soak it in.

He listens for a moment, letting his eyes slowly flutter shut, relishing in the song as it’s being played. When he opens his eyes, he looks beside him at Caroline and sees her mouth open slightly in wonder as she watches. He turns back toward the band and notices that, regardless of the forlorn melody, a few people have decided to dance to the music as it’s being played.

Klaus’s eyes darted back to Caroline, a plan already forming over the course of seconds and a smile rising on his face as he watched her. He slowly brought his hand toward hers, his fingers stroking her hand to get her attention. When her eyes landed on him, her head tilting slightly in question, he offered her his hand with a slight flourish.

She looked down at his outstretched palm questionably before looking up at him, her brows furrowed in a silent question. He answers her unspoken question with a grin, his face brimming with mischief as he spoke, asking her if she would give him the honor of a dance. She responds to his request with a slight chuckle, the sound escaping her suddenly as she brings her hand up toward her mouth, trying to cover her widening smile. Caroline shook her head slightly in amusement, the faint traces of laughter leaving her, but a smile stayed as she placed her hand in his with a flourish, imitating his previous action.

As they walked toward the dancers, the song slowly began to change, morphing into something completely different. Whether it was chance or fate, the previous melody was replaced with a more fast-paced, heart-racing rhythm, matching their quickened heartbeats as their fingers twined together and danced. Klaus twirled her around, under his arms, and around him, her laughter ringing in his ears, his own matching hers ever so quieter.

The last song echoed in his ears long after it had finished as they slowly stopped, the two grinning at one another. Caroline’s hair was flowing freely from her ponytail, a few stray strands sticking to her forehead, and Klaus’ eyes were gleaming, lost in the music, lost in her.

They still stood close, drifting closer at each passing moment as if they were still dancing to a melody only they could hear. It was only them at that moment, and he loved that. He loved that he could now have a thousand more moments like this.

Klaus’s fingers slowly drifted towards her face, pushing back a stray hair but lingered on her cheek afterward, simply holding her. His fingers brushed across her cheek before he leaned down, the two coming together for a kiss.

Caroline bit her lip, holding back a smile when the two parted. “Come on; I have something to show you.”

Klaus’ eyes rose at her suggestion, smiling coquettishly at her words, and while he knew what she meant, he couldn’t help but tease her. “And what would that be?”

Caroline smacked his shoulders lightly, the action lacking any real anger at his insinuation, “I didn’t mean that,” she laughed. “Just follow me,” she asks as she grabs his wrist, leading him through the streets.

As she led him through the streets, the night darkened further. The sky slowly began to turn into an inky black as it grew late, but the roads were still filled with people walking around, enjoying themselves.

Klaus found daytime beautiful, but he had grown to love the night more as he grew older. When everything was silent, with the streets no longer sullied by the sounds of bustling traffic and people’s voices. When the stars shone their light, however small it may be, creating a more serene atmosphere, this was the time he enjoyed the most. It was the intimacy of it all that he appreciated, the secrecy. Klaus enjoyed this beauty, however short it was, and wanted to soak up every moment it held.

When he felt her hand tighten its grip on his wrist as she led him through the paved streets, he understood that beauty in a new way. The beauty in Caroline’s smile, one that was so bright he knew it could rival all the stars above. Her laughter, the delightful sound ringing sweetly in his ear as she pulled his arm, encouraging him to go faster. Every moment he had with Caroline held a new emotion, something he had yet to experience, and it frightened and excited him all at once, but he welcomed it.

***

Caroline’s laugh echoed in his ear as she looked back at him again. Klaus always enjoyed that sound, reveling in it even at times, but he was unsure of what this one would entail.

“Come on, Klaus,” Caroline urged as she laughed, her hands pulling on his wrist when she looked back at him.

“I don’t think I have much of a choice, my love,” he teasingly answered, looking pointedly down at her hand gripping his wrist tightly.

She let out an exasperated huff at his answer but continued to keep a hold on his wrist, entirely refusing to let him go just yet. Klaus’ grin broadened at the sound. He knew well enough that once Caroline had a plan in mind, nothing would stop her from achieving her goals, and as much as he loved her determination, that didn’t mean he had to make this easy on her.

With her overeager attitude, he would have thought she would have cracked or, at the very least, hinted about where they were going, but she revealed nothing, adamantly refusing to tell him anything, only saying that it would be a surprise.

“You do know, sweetheart, there is no place you could take me that I have not already been,” Klaus reminded her after she made another turn.

At his comment, Caroline stopped, releasing his hand with a short huff of exasperation and walking a few paces away. After a moment, she turned toward him, her feet pivoting in her spot quickly as she walked toward him. When she reached him, she stopped, her eyes scanning his form, looking him up and down as if contemplating what to do. The impromptu examination caused Klaus’ grin to widen, enjoying the analysis and how her eyes seemed to take in his every detail.

“Close your eyes,” Caroline decides after a moment.

Klaus merely smirked in response.

“Come on, Klaus, just-just for a minute,” Caroline asks.

Klaus shook his head, letting out a chuckle before complying. After they were shut, he could feel the movement of Caroline’s hand waving in front of his face to check if they were really closed.

“They’re closed,” he assures.

“Just checking,” Caroline said before grabbing his wrist and leading him once again. “Remember, don’t open them yet.”

He was only led for a few more minutes before he heard the sound of a door opening and felt a soft tug on his wrist as she ushered him inside. Instantaneously, his senses unconsciously picked up on everything around him, the sounds and smell amplifying, unable to see anything at the moment. The sounds of her heels clicking on the tile floor at her every step, the chattering and conversations of people, their voices slurred and joyous. The smell of alcohol was strong, tart and only confirmed his suspicions of where he was.

“Rousseau’s,” he smugly voiced, his eyes still firmly shut. “While I do enjoy the bar scene, my love, what are we doing here?”

At his question, he heard her quietly curse his heightened senses, obviously forgetting how easy it would be for him to figure it out before speaking. “Since you already know where we are,” she sighed. “I guess you can open your eyes now.”

“Are you positive,” he teased, holding back a chuckle. “I wouldn’t want to ruin the surprise.”

“Klaus!”

“I’m only teasing,” Klaus assures, opening his eyes, his gaze meeting Caroline’s. Her lip was slightly jutted out, pouting at him at her surprise being ruined.

“Come now, sweetheart, there’s no need to pout.”

“I’m not pouting,” Caroline glared.

When she saw his smile at her response, his eyes twinkling with mirth, she turned away from him, waving her hand and calling the bartender towards them, wanting nothing more than to avoid his knowingly smug grin. “Three bourbons, please,” she orders.

“Three?” He questions. “Are we expecting someone,” he asks, though warier now at the knowledge of the unknown guest who will be arriving.

“Uh, yes,” she nervously licked her lips, her nerves getting her better. “An old acquaintance of mine, actually.”

“And who is this acquaintance?” he asked with a raised brow.

“Who is he? Well, he’s—” Caroline avoided his gaze as she spoke, stuttering a bit as she tried to figure out what to say.

“Caroline,” he repeated firmly.

The drinks miraculously came by at that moment, saving Caroline from explaining. She readily takes her glass, taking a sip, her eyes squeezing shut at the bitter taste for a second, before looking at him.

Klaus kept his focus on Caroline as she began to speak, already anticipating the rambling that was about to take place.

“It’s honestly no one bad, okay,” Caroline assured. “I mean, not really. I haven’t actually met the guy, but he sounded nice on the phone, and Elena said he was very polite. Well, her exact words were ‘stiff,’” she quoted, putting the last words in finger quotes. “But I didn’t really take that seriously after she said that Damon was-”

“Caroline,” he cut in, interrupting her rambling as he grasped her hand, rubbing soothing circles on it with his thumb to calm her.

He lowered his tone, quieter but not angry at her, as he repeated his question. “Who is he?”

Caroline squeezed her eyes shut in defeat, knowing she couldn’t avoid the answer any longer. “It’s your brother,”

His fingers stilled. There was no need for clarification on which brother it was; he already knew. Klaus stood up, his hands leaving hers as he readily made his way to the door, hoping to leave before his brother arrived.

“Klaus. Klaus, wait!” Caroline called.

His eyes clenched shut at the sound of her voice, his feet unwillingly freezing in place, but his back still faced hers stiffly, stubbornly avoiding her gaze as long as he could.

“Please, Klaus, just give him a chance to explain,” Caroline asked.

“Explain what, love, he left,” he started tonelessly, still avoiding her gaze. “He left without any warning or notice; how can one explain that.”

She looked desperately at him, wanting nothing more than to comfort him and give him the answers he had wanted since his brother’s sudden disappearance. “I don’t know, Klaus,” she said softly, walking in front of him and meeting his eyes. “But don’t you owe it to yourself to find out why?”

“Caroline-”

“Please, Klaus,” she coaxingly asked, bringing her hand to his forearm. “He’s your brother. You’ve been with each other for centuries.”

“And we would still be if it wasn’t for his disappearing act.”

“Seriously,” she rolled her eyes as her hand dropped. “Come on, Klaus, you don’t even need to talk to him, okay? All I’m asking for is for you to give him a chance to explain.”

His lips pursed up in annoyance before letting out an exasperated sigh. “Five minutes.”

Caroline’s eyes lit up at his acceptance; her hands clasped as she smiled joyfully. “Really?”

Looking at her curiously, he raised a brow, “Are you saying I shouldn’t?”

“No, no,” she laughed, holding her palms out in front of her. “I guess I’m just a little surprised; I was expecting a bit more of a fight from you if I’m being honest, but this is better.”

Clasping his hands behind him, he leaned forward, his smile simpering as he spoke. “It is?”

She leaned closer and tilted her head, looking sweetly at him as she answered. “It is, and just so you know, I wasn’t serious about the whole ‘you don’t have to talk to him part’ you need to talk to him, understand.” She added with a commanding finger aimed at his chest.

He took a step back, glancing down, and nodding in acceptance as he tried to hide the amused smile on his face, the same smile he always had whenever she attempted to intimidate him.

She turned around, only seeing his nod, walking back to her seat. Klaus followed after her, taking a seat on the stool beside her as he grabbed his drink. His fingers tightly clasping the glass, his muscles tense like a coiled wire as he waited, his eyes darting to the door every so often.

His instincts tingled, his body suddenly tensing further in surprise, as he quickly turned towards the cause, only to see that Caroline had moved closer to him and was now leaning against him, her cheek resting in the crook of his neck.

“You know bourbon is surprisingly disgusting,” she offhandedly commented as she grabbed his drink, taking a sip.

His muscles began to relax as he smiled amusedly, happy for the distraction. “How so?”

“It’s the taste, you know?” her hand moved lightly down his arm, drifting to his hand, intertwining them as she spoke. “I thought it would taste better as time went on; I mean, that was what I assumed since that seemed to be everyone’s go-to alcoholic drink back home, but nope, it still tastes as disgusting as it was the first time I tried it.

He lightly grabbed his drink from her hand, feigning annoyance at her, before speaking in an amused tone, “Then why did you order it?”

Caroline looked up at him, assuming it was obvious, “because drinking champagne doesn’t look half as cool as drinking bourbon does.”

He let out a chuckle. “Well, that is true. I happen to prefer champagne over bourbon, coolness aside. There’s just something about it that makes it utterly,” he paused, his eyes shutting for a moment, savoring the feel of her by his side, comforting him, before opening his eyes and speaking, his tone now a decibel deeper and voice underlying with a hidden meaning, one that he knew only the two of them would know, “irresistible.”

She leaned closer to him, bringing herself closer to his face as her eyes purposely darted to his lips before slowly looking back at him, smiling flirtatiously at him as she spoke. “I happen to find it irresistible too, if not more.”

He leaned closer, their noses now touching, their breath intermingling as he spoke in an unnecessarily softer tone with a lupine smile. “In that, I sincerely doubt, sweetheart.”

As Klaus began to close the distance between their lips, a quiet cough interrupted them, making Caroline look at the cause of intrusion and, in doing so, back away from him. Klaus let out an annoyed growl, turning to the intruder to tell them to leave, only to widen his eyes and freeze when he saw who it was.

- . . . -

As Klaus sat in the parlor, dejected with a drink in hand, he knew it would be another one of those days. When he awoke that morning, he decided to take up sketching again, nothing fully in mind when he started, but he realized his mistake when the drawing was finished.

It was of Caroline.

Her crystalline, guileless eyes gazed at him from the paper, seeming to taunt him yet a mere illusion when compared to the real beauty – one of the most important people in his life, whom he would not see for many years, and maybe even centuries to come.

Klaus didn’t know how it all started, how he had fallen in love with this remarkable woman, how he came to care for her, love her so much that she consumed his every thought and action. He would give up anything and everything for her, and he did, but it seemed fortune was not in his favor. It was as if everything he had done over the years, all the evil deeds and crimes, came back, and the punishment for it was losing the one thing, the one person he had come to care for more than anything.

After all the evil things he had done, the people he had killed and tortured over the years, he would not deny that he didn’t deserve her, but he would protect her, love her. He would give up everything if only he were given a chance to be with her, but he was never given one.

The world always seemed to be against him in every way since birth, through no fault of his own. His ‘father’ hated him, despised him even, ever since he was a child, for no reason he knew or deserved, punishing him for things out of his control. Most of his childhood was spent striving hard to please his father, to earn his respect, until he finally realized he could never reach it. Mikael hated him long before he learned the truth of his true parentage and Esther’s infidelity, but once he found out, it seemed his hatred toward him only grew.

With everything he went through when he was human, the betrayal, the abuse, the hatred, he desperately wanted someone loyal to him, someone who would stay with him not out of necessity but out of genuine care and love for him. He knew his siblings cared for him, but they merely stayed with him out of necessity, either knowing he held one of their other siblings daggered or a sense of childish loyalty, which was so fleeting he could barely call it such.

Klaus did not even realize what he wanted, no, what he needed, until he had met Caroline. Her fiery spirit and fierce loyalty to her friends was a devotion he rarely saw in the world; the way she carried herself: strong, confidant, with a light that seemed to radiate about her wherever she went. Even when he promised her the world – anything she desired, she still didn’t want him, and maybe she never would.

A sudden knock on the front door brought him out of his musing. The sound wasn’t loud, but it still echoed throughout the house, filling the previously quiet room and alerting him of the stranger’s presence.

At first, he assumed it to be his sister Rebekah coming back from one of her many shopping sprees or maybe even his older brother Elijah coming back for forgiveness from their earlier spat. However, when he opened the door, the sight that greeted him was nothing of the sort, leaving him speechless as his eyes roamed his guest’s appearance.

It was Caroline.

Caroline Forbes was here, in New Orleans, and she was standing on his front steps. She was here.

No matter how often he tried repeating the thought, he was still stunned, frozen in the doorway, watching her with wide eyes. Caroline, though, was unaware of his lack of a response, standing proudly with a broad smile stretched across her face. When the door opened, and she saw him, she began to speak, her arms gesturing at her every imaginary point, but unfortunately for her, he couldn’t hear a word.

Klaus blinked his eyes rapidly in disbelief, unsure if he had imagined it, but she was still standing there when his eyes opened. When she hadn’t disappeared, his eyes scanned her form, taking in every detail, almost hesitantly, as if unsure if it was indeed her. Her hair was curled in that familiar style that he recognized, flowing loosely down her shoulders. His eyes drifted down, taking notice of the yellow sundress she was wearing, flowing just above her knees in soft waves, but hanging tightly around her waist.

Everything about her, every detail, seemed to radiate Caroline, but he still stood hesitant, unsure of how to react. It wasn’t as if he hadn’t imagined this before; he had, many times if he was being honest. How she would arrive at his doorsteps or call him, telling him that she wanted him to show her the world, that she wanted him, but he always woke up. It was never real.

“Are you going to invite me in, Klaus?” Caroline asked, her eyes darting away nervously as she spoke and her smile dropping slightly when he didn’t respond to her arrival.

“Ah,” he cleared his throat nervously, finally breaking out of his stupor to respond. “Yes, of course, love,” he answered, a smile growing as he opened the door wider, allowing her entry.

Ever since then, ever since that fateful day, he had been showing her parts of the world she had never seen before, and he would continue to do so for as long as allowed him to.

His reminiscing was cut short by the sound of Caroline padding towards him, her hands wrapping around his as she gave him a quick peck on his cheek before resting her head on his shoulders.

“Good morning,” she greeted, holding back a tired yawn.

He looked down at the tired but smiling blonde, before giving her a soft but loving kiss. “Morning, love.”