Title: The Dangers of His Love
Title: The Dangers of His Love
Rating: PG-13
Summary: Klaus had always suspected love was a weakness, that it would get him killed, he had been right, but not like he thought.
Klaus had always thought love to be a weakness, one that would get him in trouble one day, make him vulnerable. At some point in his life, before becoming a hybrid, he'd even thought it might even get him killed.
The shower was running, it had been for a while. And he'd been sitting on the edge of the bed the entire time, elbows on his knees, face in his hands. Eventually he glanced up, spotted the pile of discarded clothes, making out the blood staining them. Even if he didn't see it he could smell the familiar scent, everywhere.
Twenty minutes later the shower was still running. With a sigh he stood, grasping the knob of the bathroom door and pushing it open. For a brief moment he considered what to say, but was at a loss so he said nothing. Instead, he walked to the shower and pushed the doors away. She looked up at him, sitting on the floor of the shower, hunched over her drawn up knees, wet blond hair hanging around her as what he was pretty sure was cold water pelted down on her.
"I'm just tired," she sighed, closing her eyes again and resting her cheek on her arms where they crossed over her knees.
Klaus shut off the water, grabbed a towel and threw it over his shoulder and leaned in, scooping her body up from the shower. She remained curled up, not fighting him, her wet body lying against his chest as he carried her out.
After seating Caroline on the edge, he wrapped the tower around her and grasped her face, forcing her to look at him. "I'm going to get you blood." She only nodded. When he stepped out the bedroom he did his best to ignore the trail of blood he'd left behind as he had carried her into the room only an hour before.
Some time later after Caroline was fed she was curled up again, this time on her side, buried under a mound of blankets. She said she'd been cold, he avoided telling her it was from the blood loss. He didn't join her, feeling wrong to do so, but she'd asked him to, and he couldn't say no.
So he lay there behind her, one of the blankets already pulled back, because she insisted it felt warmer to have him against her. "I'm sorry," he said at some point into the darkness.
"Stop, it isn't your fault," Caroline whispered, burrowing back into his body.
He didn't argue, not when he knew she needed to sleep.
He'd been wrong. Loving Caroline hadn't made him vulnerable or weak. It hadn't put him in any danger.
She sighed in her sleep, content, safe.
Loving Caroline had made her vulnerable, put her in danger.
Klaus couldn't be killed. He was an Original, he was a hybrid, he was invincible. The next best thing? Take the most important thing in his life from him, Caroline. Force him into another thousand years without her. It would be misery, it would be a slow torture. Klaus couldn't fathom it. He'd always hated being alone, but the definition of alone held a different meaning now when it came to losing the woman in his arms.
If Klaus lost Caroline it would be because of who he was, because he loved her. He could tear them apart as he'd done just hours ago. He could leave bodies in every country in warning, but her life would never really be safe, not with him.
Klaus would let her go if he could. If he had been a good man he'd let her go, let her be just another vampire roaming the Earth. Yet he couldn't, he wasn't good, and he was desperate for her, desperate for her love. So he'd do what he could. Klaus would keep her safe, do his best to remain discreet when they traveled or settled down for a time. There was no doubt in his mind it wouldn't be that easy. When he couldn't shield her from harm he'd kill them. He'd leave a bloody, violent trail in his wake just in case someone got any ideas.
"Stop worrying," Carolin whispered into the darkness suddenly. "I love you, everything is fine."
He swallowed at her words, unable to even speak and return the sentiment. Instead he kissed her bare shoulder, pulling her closer against him.