Title: Words Like Violence
Author: fadingtales
Fandom: Vampire Diaries
Pairing: Klaus/Caroline
Disclaimer: I do not own Vampire Diaries or any of their characters.

I'll put a spell on you,
You'll fall asleep 'cos I'll put a spell on you,
And when I wake you,
I'll be the first thing you see,
And you'll realize that you love me.

-Strange and Beautiful by Aqualung.

"This wasn't supposed to happen you know," she mumbles sleepily.

It's been a long day full of unpleasant surprises and she's actually amazed she didn't fall straight to sleep when her head hit the pillow.

"I know. I told you to stay put. But you never do listen do you?" Klaus sighs. "This is the last time I rescue you. Next time you find yourself cornered by a mob of angry werewolves you better learn how to take care of yourself."

She gives him a small, drowsy smile. "They outnumbered me this time… next time just watch, I'll kick their ass," she announces.

He scoffs and rolls his eyes.

"But that's not what I meant…" she whispers, her eyes closing.

He chuckles lowly. Of course even when she was dead tired and already half asleep she'd still be stubborn enough to try and argue with him.

"Please, enlighten me then."

"… I wasn't…" she yawns widely and snuggles closer to the pillow. "I wasn't supposed to like you…"

Her words were scarcely above a whisper, but he heard her crystal clear. Impeccable hearing had always been one of his favorite advantages to being a vampire, but her barely audible words quickly wiped the smile from his face. He didn't like way they had made him feel. Mostly because he wasn't suppose to feel anything at all.

It was then that he realized that he had truly underestimated her. This little impudent baby vampire was much more dangerous than he thought.

"Go to sleep, Caroline," he commands unnecessarily. She had already fallen into a soft steady rhythm of breathing that meant that she was long gone from the conscious world.

He stares at her sleeping form for a moment, treacherous thoughts forming in his head. He should kill her now before he regrets it.

He gets as far as bringing his hand towards her neck, but instead of strangling her like he should, he strokes the skin there and feels the strangely human pulse beating beneath her skin. He brushes her hair over her shoulder and pulls the covers over her.

She murmurs something in her sleep, but he doesn't try to listen this time. She uses words like he uses violence. And somehow even her unintended ones finds ways to strike him in unexpected places. Like a certain circulatory organ that is not supposed to exist.

He wasn't supposed to like her either.

A/N: Corresponding Klaroline gif found here - [fadingtales (.) tumblr (.) com (/) post (/)9930504167]