AN: WARNING! This one shot is rated 'M' for a reason. Seriously, it has lemons. Don't read it if you don't like that sort of thing.

Also, of course, I don't own the characters, the show, or anything useful.

He laughed, and she couldn't help but giggle along with him.

"Hey!" She rolled onto her side and smacked his shoulder. "Why is that so funny to you, huh?"

Klaus grinned up at her from where he lay on his back, one arm tucked behind his head and the other snaked around her bare waist. "I just can't believe that it's your first time while in the woods, especially considering that we already almost had sex in the woods, once."

Caroline tilted her head back and made a noise that was half groan and half laugh. "Well, you were in Tyler's body then. That doesn't count."

"I know," he said smugly. Their eyes met for a moment, until she shifted and broke away from his gaze.

She looked at him through her eyelashes and hesitantly asked, "Do you ever miss it? The newness of having something you've never done before?"

Klaus propped himself up on his elbow and twisted to face her, matching her stance. "I've been alive for a millennia, sweetheart, and I still find new things to do all the time."

"What's the last new thing you've done, then?"

He cocked an eyebrow and meaningfully let his gaze wander over her still-naked body, giving her a lascivious grin.

Caroline scoffed and pushed at his shoulder, knocking herself over onto her back. "That's not a new thing, just a new person!" she objected. "Unless you're trying to convince me that you were a virgin, in which case, that was a doubly impressive performance." She giggled at her own joke, and he joined her.

"Hardly, love. Although, I did actually lose my virginity not too far from here."

She hummed in response. "Really, though. How do you have anything new left? Like, what haven't you done?"

Klaus considered this for a moment. "I suppose it depends on if you mean anything new in general, or if you're only talking about new things related to sex."

Caroline laughed at his bluntness. "Let's say one of each."

"Why do you want to know?"

"Part of me is just curious. I wonder what it would be like for me, if I make it to a thousand." She bit her lip, as if trying to hold something back.

He brushed a piece of hair off her forehead, and then continued to stroke her golden curls. "And the other part, love?"

She rolled her eyes. "Part of me wants to give you a first, as well."

Klaus froze, just for a moment, before he resumed brushing his hand over her hair.

"What was that?" Caroline sat up and squinted at him, brushing off his hand.

"What was what?"

She inspected him for a long moment. "You know what," she finally scoffed.

He chuckled. "You're too perceptive, love."

"Well, what is it?"

"Nothing to worry about."

She glared at him, clearly not accepting that answer.

Klaus sighed. "There is one thing that comes to mind," he finally conceded. "But I don't think this is the time. I don't think you would... enjoy it."

Caroline gave him a skeptical look. "Is this some freaky bondage thing? Because if so, I don't know how you've never done that."

He laughed at her insinuation and unimpressed look. "No, but does that mean you don't enjoy bondage, love?"

She huffed at him. "Deflection, Klaus."

He tried to scowl at her, but realized that it likely came out as more of a grimace. "All right, I'll tell you."

Caroline gestured for him to continue.

Still, he hesitated before revealing it. "I've never tried blood sharing."

She looked surprised. "Seriously? And you thought I wouldn't like it, because...?"

He rolled his eyes this time. "Well, the last time I bit you..." Klaus trailed off and looked away from her, rolling back onto his back. "The last time I bit you, you almost died." The last word came out strangled.

Caroline snorted at that, and then propped herself up to lean over him. "Seriously? That's your hang-up?"

He gave her a bemused look.

"I mean, I guess I get it. But I didn't die. In fact, you kind of inadvertently admitted that you didn't want to let me get hurt." She rolled her eyes.

"Among other things," he murmured, reaching up to curl one lock of her hair around his finger.

"So? Let's do it."

His eyes cut away from the sight of his hand wrapped in her hair and up to her eyes. Caroline was staring at him steadily, her head cocked to one side slightly, with a small smirk on her face.

"Caroline," he began slowly, "regardless of that, I'm not sure you want to do this."

Her smirk widened. "But you're sure that you do," she murmured. And before he could continue to object, she'd moved so that she was straddling his hips. He swallowed when he felt her hot cunt pressed against his pelvis, and felt himself begin to stir in response.

"Love," he tried again, fighting to keep his voice even, "it's a very intimate thing -"

She cut him off by leaning forward and pressing her lips to his. Her tongue danced against his, and her teeth nipped at his bottom lip. "Tell me you don't want to, and we won't," she breathed against his lips, her voice husky with desire. She trailed kisses down his cheek and jaw to his ear, and when she licked the shell and pulled the lobe into her mouth to suck on it, he couldn't help but shudder.

His voice came out strangled and more uneven than he would have hoped. "Sweetheart, I don't want you to regret this."

Caroline's lips moved to his throat, pressing light kisses down the line of his artery to his shoulder. "Will you regret it?" she asked softly, and he couldn't quite make out the emotion in her tone.

"Gods, no," he breathed out explosively as licked upwards in reverse of the path her kisses had followed a moment before.

She smirked against his neck before biting him lightly with her human teeth.

He couldn't take it any longer. Klaus growled deep in his throat and sat up, bringing her with him, lifting her up long enough that he could get his knees under himself. She was pressed against his chest, still straddling him, but this position gave him much more control. "If we try this, we do it my way."

Her eyes widened, before her face fell into a victorious smirk. "What way is that?" She rolled her hips against his pelvis, grinning as she felt his erection pressed against her ass.

"You bite me when I tell you to, and then I'll bite you. You don't stop drinking my blood until I'm done with yours, and if you want me to stop, you tap my side." He took her hand and moved it to his ribs, showing her where to touch him when she was done.

Caroline nodded in agreement and grinned at him, leaning in to kiss him again. She moved one hand to his shoulder, the other to clutch at the base of his neck, and let the kiss consume her. They became a battle of lips, teeth, and tongue as Klaus moved his hands to her hips, holding her in place. She was, undoubtedly, the best kisser he's ever had the pleasure to experience. Even without the sex, which had been much more than he'd been hoping for, this would have been a day to remember.

But then she began moving her hips against his and whimpering, and he smirked as he took pity on her and moved one hand to her slit. He stroked her gently, making sure to avoid her clit, which was surely still sensitive from their previous rounds. When enough of her wetness was collected on his fingertips, he pushed two fingers inside of her. Caroline's head tipped back, breaking their kiss, as she let out a heady moan.

"Klaus," she whimpered as he stroked his fingers slowly in and out of her. She leaned forward again, pressing kisses along his neck. She knew, from the last round, what he wanted. "Please?"

He removed his fingers from her and wrapped them briefly around his erection, stroking himself twice quickly to spread her wetness and his pre-come along his length.

She anticipated his next motion and pushed herself off of his legs, just enough to line up the head of his cock with her slit, before sinking back down and taking him into her. When he was all the way inside of her, Caroline let out a small gasp, and he groaned in response.

Klaus gave her a moment to adjust before he began thrusting up into her, one hand firm on her hip while the other reached up to fondle her breast.

"Oh, God," Caroline breathed against his neck, nipping at his skin with her blunt teeth before sucking a kiss which would have left a mark were they not indestructible. "Are you not going to let me move?" she complained.

He chuckled and continued the slow, steady pace he'd set with his thrusts. "I did say we'd be doing this my way, love."

"Well I didn't realize your way was so... so... slow," she groaned, stumbling over his words as he moved his hand from her nipple down to circle around her clit.

Their lips met again, and talking again ceased. Her lips burned against his, and when they broke apart, they were both panting and gasping for air. And still, Klaus hadn't picked up the pace or directly stroked her clit.

Caroline huffed out a frustrated laugh. "God, Klaus, you really want to make me ask for it, don't you?"

He growled. "I want you to beg for it, sweetheart."

She shook her head defiantly, and he pulled her forward using the hand on her hip. His lips began working up her neck, then back down, leaving a trail of fire in their wake. Caroline whimpered, and she tried desperately to move her hips against his. Klaus growled against her neck, and she couldn't help but shiver at the feeling. Before she could stop herself, the word had fallen from her lips. "Please," she breathed.

He sped up marginally, and it felt so damn good that she couldn't help but respond with a gasp. And then, again, it was coming out of her mouth, this time in a desperate litany. "Please, Klaus. Please, please, please please please please..."

Klaus bit her collarbone with blunt teeth and slammed up into her, quick and hard. She groaned each time he thrust, until it turned into a purr of satisfaction. It wasn't long before he felt her tightening around him, and he released her hip at last, using his hand to pull her head into the crook of his neck.

"When I touch your clit, I want you to bite me," he growled into her ear. She was close, he could tell, and he knew she would drag him over the edge with her.

Caroline gave a sharp nod and whimpered against his skin. Klaus took a deep breath and then released it before moving his finger to gently stroke her clit.

He had intended to count to three after Caroline bit him before letting himself bite into her, but the instant her fangs pierced his skin, he realized that wouldn't happen. His blood hit her tongue and Klaus could feel her body jerk, her cunt tighten around him, and he wasn't going to be able to hold off his own orgasm for even three seconds.

One of her hands curled into his hair, the other wrapping around his shoulder in a vice grip, and before he could even think to start counting, he was pressing his fangs against her skin, and then -

Oh, gods.

Nothing on the planet could compare to this.

Her blood was champagne - honey and oranges and sunlight...

This was ecstasy, this was flying without wings, this was indescribable joy. He could feel her body wrapped around him, but it was so much more than that. He could feel her heart beating wildly as if it sat in his own chest. He could feel her orgasm crashing within her, continuing to release wave after wave of pleasure. He could feel... he could feel how much she wanted him, desired him, cared for him, even if it was reluctant.

He never wanted this to end.

She was shaking in his arms, he could feel her tongue rasping over the bite marks on his neck, and he growled against her skin. Caroline responded by holding him tighter to her.

After what could have been a minute or an hour, Klaus began coming down from the high. He reluctantly withdrew his fangs from her neck, and watched to make sure the wound closed before using the hand that had buried itself in her hair to gently tug her away from his neck.

She was still vamped-out, purple veins running down her face, eyes black and red, with her pupils blown wide from lust. She looked slightly dazed still, and Klaus realized that he might be the same when all he could manage to do was gape at her and murmur, "Beautiful."

Caroline nodded. Her eyes locked on his, and he could see in them that she was coming back to herself, but also... something was different. "I... I didn't realize..." She swallowed hard.

"Yes," he agreed, though he wasn't entirely sure what he was agreeing with. "It was a bit," he searched for the right word, before saying, "more than I expected."

She nodded, never breaking eye contact, and he realized what was different. Caroline was looking at him in wonder, in awe. "What is it?" he asked.

She finally looked away, shaking her head slightly as her cheeks reddened.

"Sweetheart?" he tried again, his brow furrowing. They'd had sex three times that day already, what could she possibly be embarrassed about? He had fucked her against a tree, they'd had playful sex in a pile of leaves, and then he had even made -

OH.

Oh.

It hit him like lightning in that moment. He had made love to her. And if, while blood sharing, he could feel her pleasure and desire and whatever generally caring feelings she felt towards him, then surely, surely, she would have felt his emotions. At least some of them. At least the most important one.

And while, yes, he certainly felt a desire and passion and lust which matched hers in magnitude, it was dishonest to pretend that it was nothing more. He loved her. He had never told her, he likely never would, but it was by now one of his fundamental truths. Klaus loves Caroline, loved Caroline, will love Caroline forever. Carving the message in stone would not allow it to last as long as it will in his heart.

And while she had said it before, had practically accused him of loving her, he supposed it was different to know and to know.

"Oh," he breathed, as the realization sunk in.

She turned her head back towards him, but he looked down to avoid her gaze. And gods, he realized, they still hadn't moved from finishing. He withdrew his hand from her hair, resting it on her waist to mirror his other hand, and gently began to push her away from him.

Caroline made a noise of displeasure and he couldn't help but look up. Her eyes were wide, confused and vulnerable, and gods, he had never before been laid so bare. He closed his eyes against her.

Klaus had to push her away, to say something cold and cruel that no one other than Caroline would ever forgive. His arms tensed fractionally, he opened his mouth, and -

And then she was kissing him. Not the passionate kisses of earlier in the day, but a sweet, soft, patient kiss. Her lips were gentle against his, and one of her hands cupped his jaw, keeping their mouths joined even as she pushed their bodies back onto the ground, separating their hips, then curling back into him. She maneuvered them so that they were laying on their sides, their legs tangled, his arms wrapped around her, and gods, he was still kissing her. Or was she kissing him? Whichever it was, it was a precious, fragile thing, and he had no idea how long it had lasted when she finally pulled away.

It was only a fraction of an inch, but she gained enough room to whisper against his lips. "Don't," she breathed out.

He opened his eyes to see that she was already staring at him, her blue eyes filled with pain and compassion. "Don't want?" He, like her, kept his voice at a whisper.

"Don't lash out. Don't push me away."

She was learning what to expect from him, then.

Before he could come up with an answer, she continued. "I didn't know that it would be like that. But... Klaus, I'm glad that I understand, finally. So, thank you."

He furrowed his brow. Gratitude and vulnerability were not the reactions he'd expected, but he supposed that he should know better than to try to predict Caroline's responses. "What do you mean, love?"

She averted her eyes. "God, I'm bad at talking about this stuff." Caroline rolled onto her back, and Klaus found himself smiling when he realized they were back to their previous post-coital conversation positions.

"And what stuff is that?"

"Just... me."

He chuckled. "I've never found you to be at a loss before."

She giggled and grinned at him. "Shut up!" Her grin faded, and his did as well. "I just... you opened up to me. And I feel like I owe it to you to return the favor."

Klaus shook his head. "Sweetheart, you don't need to tell me anything you don't want to."

"I know." She hesitated. "But what if I do want to?"

"I'm always happy to hear what you have to say," he stated, reaching out to push a lock of hair behind her ear.

She hummed skeptically, raising an eyebrow. He laughed, and she grinned. "Okay then," she conceded, and looked into the canopy of branches above them. "I think... I think I didn't really believe you, before."

His hand stilled, where it had been playing with her hair.

Her eyes darted back to his for a fraction of a second, before Caroline looked away and cleared her throat, apparently uncomfortable with what she was about to reveal. "I'm never really anyone's first choice, you know. So when you were here, all charming and romantic and... you, I just... It's nice, to know that someone would choose you."

Klaus raised his eyebrows. He'd known, of course, that Caroline had vulnerabilities. He'd even known - well, he had suspected - that she struggled with insecurities and compared herself to her friends.

"Anyway, I guess I just wanted to say..." She turned her head back to face him, her eyes wide, and he was suddenly thrown back to his memory of running into at the high school after she'd been freed from Alaric. "Thank you," she all but whispered, her eyelashes fluttering as she blinked repeatedly.

He had no response to that, so he leaned down and kissed her, soft and deep. Klaus only pulled away when he heard a faint voice far away calling her name.

"Your friends are calling for you, sweetheart," he murmured against her lips.

She nodded softly, and they both stood to get dressed. He handed her the scraps of her shirt once she'd gotten her pants and brassiere back on, and Caroline snorted softly. "You owe me a shirt," she joked, shrugging on her jacket and zipping it up.

"I'd be happy to take you shopping to replace it, love." He grinned at her as she rolled her eyes.

Caroline grabbed the ruined shirt from his hands and stuffed it into the pocket of her jacket. "I'm sure you would be." She hesitated, looking down at her boots, before continuing. "Would you tell me why you made the deal? I mean, why you agreed to stay away?"

Klaus chuckled and moved forward, placing a hand on her cheek and capturing her gaze. "Mystic Falls holds nothing for me other than you, love. You, and some terrible memories. It will hardly be a sacrifice to stay away. And..." He paused, swallowed hard. "And I think that now, you understand that I am a patient man. It will be worth it for me to wait until you are ready, but until you are, my physical presence is hardly necessary in your life."

Caroline swallowed hard at his admission, again, that he would wait for her. "I like your use of 'until'. It's very confident," she murmured, jokingly echoing his own comments during their one and only date.

He grinned in response and pulled her in for a final kiss, framing her face with his hands. "Forever is a long time, Caroline." He closed his eyes and pressed his lips to hers, only releasing her after he heard a sigh of contentment release from her throat. Klaus kept his eyes closed, but pressed his forehead to hers.

"See you around, Klaus," she murmured against his lips.

There was a rush of air, and he opened his eyes to find that he was alone.

AN: So, this is the first piece I've published. Constructive criticism is definitely welcome! Thanks for reading!

And sorry to anyone who got an update for this piece when all I really did was add a warning to the top. It is a finished one shot, but I do have some other drabbles that I plan on posting at a later date, but probably in a separate story. Stay tuned!