For Caryn. Belated happy 25th birthday my love! Thank you for being such a beautiful and strong Klaroline shipper, and for all your efforts to keep this fandom full of light. I will never regret being part of the KC family because it allowed me to know you. :)

A/N: This fic refers to Human!Klaroline because I don't want to give away spoilers for the epilogue when Caroline decides if she wants to remain human or become a wolf like Klaus. :)

-o-

Twenty Five Truths about the Alpha and His Mate

And in this crazy life and through these crazy times
It's you, it's you, you make me sing
You're every line, you're every word, you're everything

-Everything (Michael Buble)

1. Klaus always wakes up first.

He doesn't even have to set an alarm. It's almost intrinsic that sleep leaves him just as the hand of the clock sets itself upon the number 4, regardless of what time he went to bed the night prior, or even on those rare days when he feels unwell.

Elijah says it may have something to do with alpha instincts. Klaus, after all, takes it upon himself to check on the safety of the pack and the security of their territory early on every morning before most of the town's residents are up.

Finn says that it's just how Klaus is – he's a creature of habit.

Rebekah declares that Klaus is so OC it manifests in the eye-roll inducing consistency of his sleeping patterns.

Kol chirps "I consistently wake up at 10am too, you know?"

And Caroline – Caroline just smiles every single morning when at about 4am she wakes up to Klaus holding her closer against him, mouthing a soft "I love you" as he kisses her hair before he leaves to start his day.

2. One time, Caroline woke up first.

She slept early that night because she felt a bit tired after helping Kol bake two hundred fifty red velvet cupcakes ("I'm shipping them to Cape Town tomorrow for Caryn's Birthday." "How are you going to ship twenty one dozen cream-frosted cupcakes to South Africa, Kol?" "Now that you mentioned it… I have no idea.") and Klaus wasn't supposed to be home from Whitmore until lunchtime the next day. At a little after 3am that morning though, the blonde is surprised to wake up to the comforting warmth of her mate snuggled next to her, stubbled jaw resting by the curve of her shoulder as his arm drapes lightly across her middle.

Caroline knows that he must've driven for six straight hours just to make it home that night, even though before he left she already told him to just go home in the morning so he doesn't have to drive so late. Part of her is irked that he didn't listen to her, but a bigger part can't help but feel so… loved. To know that there's a man who's ready to endure the exhaustion of a six-hour late night drive just to come home to her… she smiles faintly as she decides to save the reprimand for later, and goes for surprising him with a breakfast of bacon and eggs instead.

3. She learned that morning that alphas can be difficult when sleep-deprived.

She slowly tries to sit up, moving Klaus' arm away from her body as carefully as she could so she won't wake him up. But the moment her head rises from the pillow, the sleeping alpha feels the loss of her presence, and immediately his instincts kick in before they can be tempered by his still-bleary mind. In one fluid motion, the hand over her stomach closes tightly onto Caroline's wrist, making her jump in surprise as the alpha pulls her closer to him.

The blonde turns to face her mate, and her heart begins to pound at the sight of wolverine eyes staring at her in the darkness. Klaus looks at her anxiously, golden orbs attentive despite his obvious fatigue. He's barely had three hours of sleep and it's evident that he's too exhausted to think straight.

4. Fortunately, when an alpha is agitated, one thing always works.

Caroline's eyes immediately soften. She takes a deep breath as she wills herself to calm down, blue-green orbs never leaving his. She slowly raises her hand, the one he's still holding, and gently touches his face.

"I'm here, Nik." She whispers to him soothingly.

He leans in closer to her touch, and only then does his wolverine eyes fade back to human blue. His grip on her arm loosens, and the tension straining his body melts away into quiet comfort as he lets her lay him back down on the bed.

Klaus closes his eyes, welcoming the respite of sleep once again as he finds comfort in the scent of honey and lilac that lingers in the air after Caroline presses a chaste kiss on his lips.

5. It's the first and last time something like that happened.

There will always be a part of him that's scared of losing her. Who isn't scared of losing that one person who makes life with living? But then and there, he saw it in her eyes and felt it in her touch – he will never lose her again if only because she doesn't want to be with him. He knows in his heart that she loves him, and to Klaus, that's enough.

He feels her getting up from bed, and a few seconds later the door creaks open only to slowly shut close moments later. Caroline is gone, but Klaus is no longer worried. He will never again be worried.

No matter where she goes, he knows that she will be there when he wakes up.

6. When Caroline says that she'll save the reprimand for later, she doesn't forget it.

"I told you to go home in the morning."

Caroline frowns, trying to look as cross as she can while watching her mate finish his breakfast. She knows he's perfectly aware that she's not really angry – she just fixed him a meal, after all – but he did ignore her 'go home in the morning' instruction , so of course she's going to make a show of being miffed.

"Don't get me wrong, I'm really happy that you're back. But the fact that you drove home exhausted and sleep deprived so late at night– do you have any idea how much that stresses me out? You're a werewolf, Klaus, not an immortal. I don't want anything bad to happen to you and I just wish you'd understand that. Next time can you please get a good night's sleep first and just go home in the morning?"

Klaus doesn't answer, but he pauses from his meal and stares silently at the plate in front of him.

Caroline sighs. "Are you even listening to me?"

The alpha keeps his eyes cast downward.

"It's not a good night's sleep if I don't wake up next to you."

7. She has gone with him to his trips out of town ever since.

He never took her with him when he met with wolves from packs other than his and Rebekah's family before, because he wanted to protect her. If wolves from other packs learned that his mate was human and not a wolf like themselves, they were certain to either be cautious of or curious about her, and he didn't want that kind of attention on her while she was still deciding whether to turn wolf or stay human. Klaus wanted her to make the decision entirely of her free will, without the influence of scrutiny or judgement.

After they talked, though, Caroline insisted on going with him.

"This way you don't have to drive so late to go home to me. And I won't have to worry about you being so freakin' stubborn." She said, mocking a roll of her eyes before adorably planting a kiss upon the tip of his nose, one that makes Elijah smile furtively as he watches the pair.

"Caroline, love…" Klaus complains half-heartedly, though he knew that there was no changing her mind.

"If you're thinking about the heat I might get when they learn that I'm human, I can take it."

So far, she's been doing just as she said. And he's learned along the way that one of the most wonderful feelings in the world is the one he gets whenever he introduces her as "Caroline Forbes. My mate."

8. There are still, of course, those days when they fight.

"You should have charged your phone before you left!"

"I did but the battery malfunctioned!"

"You should have checked it before you left! And why didn't you ask Kol or Sage to go with you?"

"Seriously, you want me to as Kol or Sage to go with me to Wholefoods to buy baby potatoes? It's like fifteen minutes away!"

"But it took you to whole hours to get back, during which no one had any idea where you went or what happened to you!"

"How was I supposed to know that there was going to be a major accident at Inwood? It was rush hour and the entire intersection was blocked!"

"Which you could have told me if your phone wasn't dead!"

From the dining room a good fifteen meters away, Kol shrugs offhandedly as Elijah watches the bickering couple in wordless amusement.

"Hey, 'Lijah. You want to go out for a beer like right now?"

"Excellent idea, Kol. Let me get my coat."

Elijah doesn't even drink beer.

9. Whenever Klaus and Caroline have fights that last for more than a day, it's up to Kol to get them to make up.

Fortunately he has a fool-proof solution. Knowing that both his brother and his brother's mate do love each other to the ends of the earth but are both just too proud to say 'I'm sorry', Kol buys a pack of green peas and cooks it for dinner.

He'll hand the serving of legumes to either Klaus or Caroline, depending on who he thinks is less angry or who looks more repentant. Tonight he thinks it's Klaus, since the alpha is already sending the occasional glance at Caroline, who coldly continues with the silent treatment.

Klaus takes the bowl of peas from Kol. Then he quietly turns to offer it to his mate.

"Peace?"

10. They say that the Alpha male is the most powerful member of the pack, but Caroline has discovered that this may not be true.

She found out that even when he tries to resist it, he can't help but to see, to feel, to react to every little thing she does.

He sees her briefly pass by the hallway while he's talking to Elijah in the study, and impulsively his eyes follow the sight of her body, noticing every detail his senses allow him to perceive. He notes the lissomeness of her legs, the tempting sway of her hips, the swell of her breasts under her the pastel fabric of her dress.

He watches her looking at him from lowered lashes while tying her cotton robe as she prepares for a shower, and immediately his nostrils flare as he picks up the telling scent of her heat beneath the floral tones of her Millesime. His breathing hastens as she gracefully runs her fingers through the back of her head, the waves of flaxen gold cascading down sultrily to frame her fair face; already he feels that familiar buzz slowly starting to engulf his senses. He knows that she knows exactly what she's doing, but she'll feign innocence of the seduction and grin like a clever little child when she sees him flash his canines in exasperation.

He feels her hands press against his chest as he pins her to the bathroom wall, his pulse quickening under her fingertips as her skimming touch descends lower down his body. She slowly leans her head in closer to his, parting her lips as they teasingly graze his – but she doesn't kiss him. She merely stops close enough for him to feel her breath on his skin and make him want her even more. He growls in frustration and tries to take her lips himself, but she won't give in to him.

He roars – half upset, half begging – and she giggles girlishly before finally letting him into her mouth, swallowing the hiss she mercilessly rips from his throat when her hand finds his cock and gives it a long, hard stroke.

11. Klaus finds out that he doesn't mind if it's true.

As long as he has her on top of him, writhing in pleasure as he rocks his hips into hers, her nails digging into his shoulders as she takes all of him in – he really doesn't mind if the Alpha's mate turns out to be the most powerful member of his pack.

"Klaus… Oh God, Klaus –"

He grits his teeth as he drives in harder into her. Whether this is a reward or a punishment for her seduction, he cannot say – what he is certain, though, is that the moaning and mewling sounds she fills the room with are made not of pain. She's riding him in complete abandon, hips meeting each of his thrusts, her heated flesh squeezing him like a silken vise on his steel hard length pulsing powerfully with every eager thrust.

"Klaus, I'm going to –"

She falls headfirst into the maddening bliss, and Klaus himself snarls in octane-fuelled aggression as he tries to keep himself inside her while she thrashes mindlessly into the pleasure of her climax. Oh how he loves to give it to her – and oh how he loves knowing that he was the only man who could give it to her like that.

"Easy, love," he breathes against her as she slumps into him in exhaustion, her flushed cheek finding a warm home against his chest. He wraps his arms around her spent body, smiling in pride at the state he has reduced her to.

"You feel so good when you come." He whispers to her with an arrogant smirk.

He feels her grin into his chest. "Then make me do it again."

12. But sex is not the best part of their relationship.

It's a close second, Klaus admits. But what he likes best is when he watches her sleep.

He cherishes the serene expression painted on her face when she rests. It's one of peace and calm, of childlike carefreeness, of the contentment of having expressed what she feels for him in the truest and most honest way she can. And then there's that expression of tranquillity, of complete security, that fills everything inside him with a wonderful warmth he can't even explain. It's as if she doesn't think about any risks, any dangers - she knows that he's beside her and she trusts him entirely when he says that as long as he's around, he will always take care of her.

And he feels like the luckiest man in the world whenever he hears her saying his name in her sleep.

13. Sometimes Dean, Sam and Cas visit.

And the visits are crazy because he and Dean still hate each other, half of the town's 35 and up population tries to hit on Sam when they're out and Cas abandons his solemnly philosophical Warrior of the Lord persona and transforms into an eager gastronomic adventurer who ask Kol if he can please cook Matsuzaka burgers every single day (which Kol happily obliges). Plus there's the issue of needing extra security for the entire territory, since, you know, these three guys are magnets for all things that cause shit to hit the fan.

In all honesty, Klaus does not enjoy it even one bit. But he does his best to tolerate his guests because he knows that a visit from the Winchester brothers and their angel friend make a certain blonde from Lawrence happy.

And when he sees that she's happy… it's always worth it.

14. She knows that Klaus doesn't exactly like visitors.

She can see it in his eyes and in his movements; in the resonance of his silence and in the mindfulness with which he extends his efforts to make her friends feel welcome in Mystic Falls. When Dean, Sam and Cas are around, Klaus is more vigilant; his body tenses slightly more than usual, and it's impossible not to perceive that hint of assertive authority in his voice when he speaks.

But he never utters as much as a word of complaint.

"What was that for, love?" he asked with a puzzled smile once, when she gave him a big, girly kiss after witnessing how he managed to participate in a minute-long not-that-awkward conversation with Cas about the use of egg tempera in Crivelli's St. George and the Dragon.

"Nothing in particular." She giggles before drawing him in for another kiss, one that he happily accepts. "Someone's dimples just look extra cute today."

15. She also knows that her friends aren't exactly thrilled about the fact that she's with a werewolf and that she might become one too.

"Can you at least just promise that you'll think about it? And when I say 'think about it', I mean really think about it."

"Dean…"

"This life isn't a fairy tale where you have a Prince Charming who will always save you and carry you off to a happily ever after. There are hunters, there are demons, there are a million other things. Hell, there's even angels. They can all kill you if you get involved in one wrong situation."

"I know, but…"

"Caroline…"

"I love him, Dean. And I understand the danger of being part of his world – of your world. But when I'm with him… I just feel it. It's exactly where I'm supposed to be. It's where I belong."

16. Klaus will never forget the last time the Winchesters came over.

It was a mere week before the next full moon. Everyone was in the backyard enjoying the lunchtime barbecue care of Kol and Klaus briefly went inside the house to take a call from Rebekah. On his way back outside he saw Dean standing in the hallway, broad frame leaning menacingly against the wall with his arms folded across his chest, apparently waiting for him.

"You're claiming her on the next full moon?" Dean demands bluntly, making no attempt to hide the resentment that his voice loudly resonates with.

Klaus' eyes narrow. "Yes."

"You're turning her?"

"She hasn't decided."

"You're seriously going to drag her into this kind of life?"

The Alpha doesn't answer. He knows that Dean is still guarded about him, perhaps because as a hunter he knows how dangerous life can be around the supernatural. But as a hunter, Dean of all people should also know that when a werewolf takes a mate, he cherishes her for life. He protects her and provides for her and makes sure that she lives a life as happy as she possibly can.

Even if it means making her part of this kind of life.

When Klaus doesn't answer, Dean heaves in a deep, sharp breath before looking straight at the Alpha's blue eyes.

"I was in love with her once, you know."

17. Wolves are fiercely protective of their mates, and another male's attraction to a wolf's mate is a threat never lightly considered.

Klaus' head flicks alertly at the hunter, and his jawline tensing in agitation before he can rein himself. He feels the rush of possessive violence surging in his veins, and his fingers dig deep into his palms as his hands ball into a fist.

Did Dean Winchester just tell him…

"You heard me. I was in love with her. How can anyone not fall in love with her? She smiles and it feels like the sun after a goddamn snowstorm. She laughs and I almost want to believe in 'happily ever after' even if I just sawed off a vampire's head five minutes ago." Dean lets on.

"But I didn't make a move. I knew she'd have one leg in the grave if she was with me, and I didn't want her involved in the supernatural shit that my entire life has been about."

Klaus doesn't miss the wistfulness lacing the older Winchester's voice as he shakes his head in a bitter laugh.

"And will you look at that. In the end it turns out she's the mate of a werewolf."

18. But sometimes there are exceptions.

The Alpha keeps his narrowed eyes trained on Dean. But his clenched hands slowly slacken.

He doesn't know what to say. He knows that he will always be wary of the fact that Dean felt for his mate – it's part of his lycan instincts – but even so, he understands that the hunter genuinely cares for Caroline and wants only what's best for her.

The fact that he didn't act on his emotions for her to keep her safe was proof enough.

Dean levels his sight with Klaus', and the Mikaelson sees the grave determination set deep in the hunter's light brown orbs. "Listen to me, Wolf-boy. I don't like you one bit. But Caroline... she loves you."

The words fall heavy from the man's lips, burrowing just as heavily into the wolf's ear.

"She wants to be with you, and she says she'll live this kind of life if that's what it takes. So I expect – I demand - that you to take care of her. And you do whatever the fuck it takes to make sure that she never regrets choosing to be with you."

The tension-filled silence continues to hang thick in the air. But even when no words are spoken, the honesty in Klaus' eyes already tells Dean everything that he wants to hear.

"If something happens to her on your watch, if you ever make her cry – I will kill you, you understand? I will kill you and I swear that not even the entire army of Hell or Heaven can save you."

19. From that day on, Klaus didn't dislike Dean as much as he used to.

That night when the trio leave, Klaus watches silently as Dean hugs Caroline goodbye. The Winchester whispers something to her before he lets go, and her lips curve into a grateful smile before she brings her arms up around him for another embrace.

The hunter treads back to his Impala, where Sam and Cas are already waiting. It's Dean's turn to watch as Caroline walks back to the doorway to join Klaus, who she is evidently surprised to see sending the Winchesters and Cas off.

For a split second Dean sees the alpha look earnestly at his mate. Caroline just beams at him at first, but then she notices the telltale glance. She tilts her head, uncertain, as if to ask what's the matter.

Klaus clears his throat, but he doesn't say anything. The blonde shrugs off her unspoken question and simply turns back to Dean's direction to wave him goodbye.

From where he stands, Dean doesn't miss how from the shadow of his jacket, Klaus' hand slowly finds Caroline's. Or how the werewolf gently weaves his fingers into hers, holding her hand tight. Caroline squeezes his hand back.

Dean's eyes shift to Klaus, who looks back at him knowingly. There are no more words of substance left to be said.

And for the first time since they met, Dean affords a curt nod of acknowledgement at the alpha.

Klaus nods back.

20. She takes to watching Teen Wolf one rainy weekend.

She knows that Klaus would balk at the mere idea of watching a 'supernatural' show like that (she made him watch this show called The Originals with her once and Klaus said he got meningitis from the utter ludicrousness of the story alone), so she gets Kol to watch it with her instead. The youngest Mikaelson brother is, after all, infinitely more adventurous and patient than any other member of his family, and he usually comes with a bowl of delightful snacks.

"This is so surreal." Kol remarks, popping a couple of white chocolate popcorn puffs into his mouth. "If humans want to watch a show about werewolves, maybe I should put a reality show about me out there. Keeping Up with Kol or something."

"But I'm not watching it because of the werewolf stuff." Caroline counters, eyes still glued to the TV as she grabs a handful of popcorn from Kol's bowl. "I'm watching it for Stydia."

"Stydia – Stiles and Lydia?"

"Ugh I feel so bad for him. He's been in love with her since forever and I know she loves him too, she just doesn't know it yet. And I swear, they're going to be end game even if Malia's –"

"Really you feel bad for Stiles? Did you feel bad for Nik too, like back then when he was in love with you for basically forever and you wouldn't even talk to him?"

"Kol!"

"Haha, I kid, I kid. I honestly don't even feel bad for my own brother because I know that whatever you made him go through during those five whole years when you loathed the bloody hell out of him, you've made up for it since that day you found out that just like the second half of your precious Stydia, you were in love with him all along, you just didn't know it."

The blonde can't help but smile at the words of her brother-in-law to be. Kol witnessed first hand how strenuous her relationship with Klaus had been until she finally realized that she did want to be with him, and for Kol to say that he knew she was worth it for Klaus…

"I know he's happy with you, Caroline." Kol tells her, affording the human a heartfelt beam of sincerity in reply.

"…Thanks, Kol. I can't even tell you how happy I am to be with your brother too."

"Oh I'm perfectly aware of that. Because I can totally hear you two going at it every night."

"KOL!"

21. Caroline once asked Sage and Rebekah what life was like as a female wolf.

"It's just like being human, I suppose." Bex tells her. "Save for the fact that you spend a few hours as a wolf every full moon, and your choice in accessories is slightly restricted because you cannot wear silver."

"No silver," Caroline repeats crestfallenly, realizing for the first time, though she has long known about werewolves' weakness against the element, that it would mean giving away some of her favourite jewellery.

"White gold's close enough." Sage advises. "And then when you've been marked – somewhat the wolf equivalent of human engagement – you'll have cravings for raw meat, which can be irritating but is manageable nonetheless."

"You'll get through it with steak, ossenworst or cold cuts, as you very well know. It's not like you'll go berserk if we leave you at the meat section of a supermarket."

"Also, twice a year you'll be in heat –"

"In heat!" The blonde suddenly shrieks.

Her future sisters-in-law look at each other, baffled at her reaction.

"Yes, in heat…"

"Like 'Bitch in heat' In heat?"

"Do you mean the ridiculous human definition where a 'bitch in heat' wants to get laid so bloody bad she all but throws herself at men?" Sage asks. "No, it isn't like that."

22. Colour her a bit curious, if not totally intrigued.

"Okay, that's great... what's it like then?"

"It happens when you meet your mate and twice each year after that. Your skin gets radiant, your hair is shinier and fuller, you're just overall really attractive and you feel very good about yourself. Humans notice this as well, but unlike wolves they're unable to recognize a female who has mated and one who has not, so they get attracted to you and they throw themselves at you, not the other way around."

"Ugh, it's so annoying when they keep trying to make a pass at you even when you make it perfectly clear that you're not interested." The other blonde agrees.

Caroline winces at the thought of men possibly trying to pick her up. "Klaus won't like that."

"Oh, Caroline," Sage says, biting into a playful sisterly laugh. "He will like it, it's all for him. When you're in heat, your senses are heightened, your emotions intensify, and you want nothing else but to be with your mate. He feels it down to his bones and he'll respond to it exactly like you need him to. It's raw and it's wild and it's some of the most mind-blowing sex you can have."

Rebekah smirks at the redhead. "Trust her. When she met Finn she couldn't even wait to get a room, they did it behind a tree on the seventh hole at the country club!"

"Says the girl who ran off with Stefan Salvatore and couldn't even take five to call her alpha." Mrs. Mikaelson shoots back, remembering how totally Klaus flipped when his sister went missing and couldn't be found anywhere in Mystic Falls. When Rebekah finally came home three days later to announce that she had found her mate, it took a full hour of coaxing from Elijah for Klaus to abandon his plan of murdering Stefan.

Caroline smiles, albeit distractedly, as Bekah and Sage laugh at each other's experiences meeting their respective mates. At the back of her mind, though she finds herself unable to do anything but wonder how Klaus must have felt when five years ago he met his mate, and the spark that was supposed to make it day 'the most mind blowing' day in his life just wasn't there.

23. She asks Klaus a question he didn't expect that night before they went to sleep.

"So what's the difference between sex when your mate is in heat and when she's not?" Caroline asks, putting away the Conan Doyle she's reading when Klaus gets into bed.

The alpha raises an uncertain brow, but his lips curl into an amused smile. "And we're talking about this because...?"

"Because I had a conversation with your sister and Sage about being in heat and they mentioned words like 'mind-blowing'? It just made me a bit curious..."

"Shouldn't you be asking that to Stefan or Finn then, love? Or any other wolf with a mate who's gone into heat?"

He means it as a joke, but the impish grin that Klaus' smile breaks into is immediately replaced with a look of concern when he feels the stabbing tinge of guilt spreading through his mate's chest.

"Caroline?"

The blonde's hands ruefully ball in her lap, gripping the blanket warming her body. "I just... does that mean there's something better than what we have now? Because I can't imagine anything else that could be more special than when you and I…"

"Listen, love, I didn't mean -"

"If there is, then what makes it better? Is it hormones? The wild wolf instincts? Is it one of those supernatural things we will never explain? Did you miss something special when you met me and we didn't… I mean… would it be so bad if we just… stay like this and…"

She closes her eyes in heartbreaking frustration. "I'm sorry, Klaus. I'm sorry."

24. He realizes that she might be thinking about this in light of the decision she has to make come full moon.

"Come here," Klaus says softly. The alpha comfortingly nuzzles his mate's nose with his in the lycan act of reassurance, and she snuggles closer to him as she rests her head in the crook of his neck.

"Do you know what makes heat important to wolves?" He tells her, sinewy arm wrapping around her shoulder to gently stroke her hair. "It's not because of the carnal aspect of mating. It's important to us because it's the only times in the year when females can conceive, and that's the precise reason why a female in heat seeks only her mate and would not accept any other male."

Caroline looks up at Klaus diffidently.

"It's not 'mind blowing' because of heightened senses or emotions. What makes it meaningful is the fact that it allows two wolves to share a special bond. If they have the opportunity to bring another life into this world, they want it to be with no one else but each other. It's not just sex – it's love." The alpha explains.

"So if you ask me if I think mating in heat is any better than we have right now, I would tell you that I don't. And I don't want you to ever think that you need to turn because we'll miss out on something special if you can't be in heat. We're together because I love you and you love me - and it doesn't get any more special than that."

She gazes right into his eyes, pink lips wobbling as she tries to hold back the tears now misting her eyes. There are so many things she feels right now, so many things she wants to tell him – but she can't even make a sound.

So she just kisses him.

The tears fall as she closes her eyes and closes the distance between them, cupping his face with both hands, hoping that with this kiss, she could tell him everything she wants him to know but cannot speak of.

He understands.

25. The night before the full moon of July when they are finally to be mated, he surprises her with something she never saw coming.

"Close your eyes, give me your hand, darling."

It's the definition of 'take your breath away'. There's a thousand candles hung all over the garden, lighting up the greensward like fireflies in the summer. The air is filled with the scent of her beloved lavenders and lilacs dusting the dark green shrubbery with pastel violet. Kol is playing Eternal Flame with his guitar the way Sam Winchester can only dream of, and Klaus is singing.

"Do you feel my heart beating? Do you understand?"

Her knees go weak and she has to take a seat on the garden chair even as she breaks into the happiest fit of laughter she has ever had. Klaus sounds… not so good… and the hapless look on Kol's face reads something between "Whacha doin' bro we practiced this!" and "Oh God please don't let anyone see me doing this."

"Do you feel the same?"

But he's singing and he's singing the same song she sang the first time they met.

"Am I only dreaming? Or is this burning an eternal flame."

And this time, she knows it won't leave off like it did before. Because she loves him, and it's the beginning and the end of everything.

She doesn't even wait for the song to finish. She walks up to him and wraps her arms around his neck and smiles in pure happiness as he looks at her, an uncharacteristic sheepish grin wide on his lips.

(From behind them, Kol makes a mental note to forever be grateful to Caroline for getting Klaus to stop singing.)

"You're not going to smash a beer bottle on my head again, are you?" the alpha teases as his arms encircle her, drawing her even closer to him.

"Jerk." His mate playfully replies as she settles her head onto his chest. He feels so warm against her, and she feels even warmer when she feels him press a kiss atop her head.

This is what the beginning of happily ever after feels like.

-o-

A/N:

1. Hi guys, it's Erica again. Find me on tumblr at erica-dreams-in-colour and find my multi chapter stories here in FFN at she. dreams. in. colour, links are in my profile page.

2. Yay TAaHM got updated after like forever. Now only the Epilogue with the mating ritual is left to be written, although sorry but that may not happen anytime soon. You can expect updates for my other fics in the coming weeks though, particularly for That I Give You Not My Hand but My Heart which I picked up like five seconds after finishing the update for TAaHM. :))

3. Speaking of That I Give You Not My Hand but My Heart, I just want to take this opportunity to thank the wonderful people who nominated my fic in the Klaroline Awards for Most Promising Fiction and Best AU Fic, and yours truly for Most Creative Author for the THIRD TIME in the three years that the Klaroline Awards has been in existence. :) I need no win to feel any happier because the fact that you guys remembered me and my fic is more than enough. :)

4. Virtual cupcakes for everyone! Have a great day y'all. :)