Title: Fear 1/1
Title: Fear
Rating: PG
Summary: In reaction to his fear Klaus is irrational.
Caroline opened the door, her senses immediately telling her there was a stranger in the house. They may have only been living there for less then a week, but she already knew what did and didn't belong there, and that unfamiliar vampire didn't belong there. Quietly, Caroline settle her shopping bags to the ground. It was cold in England, her wardrobe wasn't sufficient, at least that's what Klaus said.
Her steps weren't quiet. It was impossible to be quiet in heals. Voices traveled down the wooden walls of the hallway, becoming louder as she continued walking. Klaus' voice touched her ears, but there was another one, unfamiliar, English and male.
As she came to the doorway of what she had named the library (although Klaus insisted just because it had one shelf of books it wasn't necessarily a library) she found Klaus lounging comfortable in a chair, as usual a glass of liquor in his hand. His face was one of indifference, and although she saw nothing to suggest otherwise, she hadn't been aware of any visitors and she suspected he hadn't been either. Their guest, well, she could only see the back of his head.
Klaus stood as Caroline made her entrance, luckily for their guest he was old enough to stand also. Klaus met her half way, slipped an arm around her waist and dropping a kiss to her lips. "Nice day love?"
Caroline clutched his arm, looking up into his face, resisting the urge to glance at the vampire and keep up her own facade of indifference. With a smile she nodded. "Spent your money if that's what your wondering." He smirked down at her. As kind and moralistic as Caroline could be, she had no problem spending his money. He released her after that, pleasantries forgotten, but he didn't entirely leave her side. A hand remained on her back, ushering her towards the unfamiliar vampire.
"Caroline, I'd like to introduce you to Richard. He was turned-. What was it? The 1400's?"
She turned to the other vampire who dressed in a very expensive tailored suit, and pasted a pleasant smile onto her face as she took his offered hand.
"Yes, close enough. I trust you are enjoying your time in England?" He asked politely, his own face one of calm indifference.
Still with a smile on her face Caroline responded, "Yes, thank you." Finally, he released her, leaving her free of his cool grip. "I'm sorry, I have some things I need to attend to. It was a pleasure meeting you." The other vampire, Richard, was pleasant with his goodbye. Caroline turned to Klaus to find him facing her, his face relaxed, but his eyes were intent. With one final smile she took her leave of them and went to the door to allow the driver in with her purchases.
On the second floor with her earbuds in her ear Caroline could ignore their voices. Curiosity would eat at her and ignorance was bliss. Instead, she entertained herself with sifting through her recent purchases. It was as she was hanging a jacket that she heard the click of a door. Spinning around she spotted Klaus surveying the boxes and bags littering the bed and floor. As she took the earbuds from her ears he looked up at her, a smirk on his face.
"You weren't teasing me about spending money."
Caroling fought a smile and stepped away from the closet, depositing her music on a table as she neared him. "No. Don't suggest for me to purchase a new winter wardrobe unless you mean it." As she came to stand in front of him though the light in his eyes darkened. "What is it?"
"My presence here is unsettling for some. They can't fathom I might actually want to take a holiday," he said with a frown and studied her face. She cocked an eyebrow at him, amused, but he didn't return it.
"I can't imagine you've ever given them reason to doubt that." His frowned deepened at that and she sighed in response.
"I did my best to smooth things over," Klaus paused for a moment, choosing his next words carefully, "I need you to be careful."
With an annoyed sighed she turned and walked back to the bed, but he grabbed her wrist, not rough, but the intention to stop her was there, and turned her around to face him. Caroline glared up at him angrily. "Let me go."
"This isn't a joke," he snapped, annoyed with the way she dismissed his warning.
"It never is. I always need to be careful right?"
Klaus stepped closer, closing the distance between them. "What do you think love?"
"Yea, I know. Big bad Klaus with all his enemies, we've been over this already. Now let go." He glared down at her, murder in his eyes, but she returned it, never backing down from him. The day Klaus ever turned that anger on her would be the day she left. Yet he didn't, he never did. Instead he released her and stepped back.
"Where are you going?" Klaus asked as she brushed past him, momentarily forgetting about his anger with her.
Caroline stopped with her hand on the knob, but didn't turn to him. "Now where. Obviously."
Klaus, when he was angry, would kill. Klaus, to keep Caroline, retreated to a room, slammed a door and got drunk.
That's where she found him, almost through a second bottle of scotch and his sketch pad and pencils in hand. When she entered the room he didn't even bother to look up.
When Klaus was angry he pouted.
"I won't live like this," Caroline began calmly, not wanting to fuel the fire, but refusing to be treated like some lapdog. "Either you need to start taking a chance or you'll need to let me go." Klaus said nothing, didn't budge. His jaw was clenched though, but it had been that way since she entered the room. For a moment she paused, waiting, allowing him a moment to say something, yet nothing came. With a deep sigh she turned and made to exit.
"Is that an ultimatum then?" Klaus asked slowly, evenly, never once lifting his eyes from the paper. His fingers never faltered.
Turning slowly, wary of the dangerous tone in his voice, she answered. "No, just an honest truth. Wouldn't you rather my truth then my lies?" It didn't require an answer, Klaus despised it when people he loved broke his trust. "You can't control everything Klaus. Life and death is not under your control. I understand, I do, but whatever is fueling this, it's got to stop. I can't deal with it." The only sound was the scratching of pencil on paper. Ignoring the pang in her heart at what seemed cold indifference she turned again, moved to exit until a brush of wind caressed her back and the door slammed shut. Caroline gasped, never prepared for Klaus when those Original hybrid abilities of his were put to use. Even for her he was to fast. It took her a couple of seconds to realize he was behind her, both arms surrounding her and hands pressed against the now closed the door.
"Fear, that is what is fueling this. Constant fear that one day I'll be living out the rest of my eternity, unable to die or be killed, and you will be gone," Klaus growled. She hung her head, sighing slightly. Her response didn't bode well for him, but he refused to let her leave until he was sure she would stay.
"I'm not immortal Klaus," she whispered and turned to face him, looking up at him sadly, "not like you want me to be." The emotions on his face said a thousand words. Pain, anger, fear and confusion.
"I can't accept that," Klaus responded resolutely. She shook her head, looking off to the side and this time he grasped her face, forcing her to look up at him. "I won't accept that. I need you."
"You don't need me," Caroline whispered, her heart hurting because of his desperate words. "You've lived over a thousand years without me, you'll probably live another thousand after me. I won't always-."
"Stop," he snapped angrily, needing to remain ignorant of the fact that her words might be the truth, that he might be live another thousand years without her. What he needed was to believe that she would never die, that everything was within his power and keeping her alive and safe was one of those things. To his relief she said nothing. "It's not my intention to make you feel trapped," Klaus added, this time more calmly.
"I know," she said softly, suddenly so tired from arguing, and almost as if he realized it his face softened, hands loosening on her face.
"I'm sorry love," he said finally, dropping his hands from her face. She nodded, smiling softly, eyes shinning with unshed tears. Caroline always did feel things to strongly. "I shouldn't have gotten angry with you."
"No," she agreed, but she still slid her arm around his neck. His lips met hers, arms wrapping around her own body as he did so. While she held him loosely, arms draped over his shoulders, Caroline was aware of the way his arms tightened around her though, crushing her against him.