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Spoilers for 3x14 - Dangerous Liaisons

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When Caroline finally shows up for school, the first thing she does is compel the attendance office to magically fix her absences. She knows she should feel guilty, but truthfully, she doesn't. She feels relieved. She had been caught up with her own drama, as well as dragged down by Elena's never ending adventure.

The old secretary in the office blinks at her, and she repeats in a blank voice, "Caroline Forbes has only been absent once this year."

Caroline nods grimly. "And now you're gonna go fix that in the system..."

"Going to... fix it... in system..." She mutters, before shuffling off into the back room.

Of course, just because she fixed her attendance problem doesn't mean that her grades were any better.

All day, from class to class, she compels her teachers for better grades. Again, she knew she should feel guilt and anxiety gnawing at her insides – and she feels slightly ashamed of herself for feeling nothing. She knows that to get out of Mystic Falls and get into a good college, she has to do this. She wanted to see the world, not stay in this town anymore.

Second to last period, she knows better than to try to compel Alaric, the vampire hunter pumped full of vervain, but she still pleads with him until he relents and changes her grade from a D- to a B+.

"You know," He grumbles as he gathers up his lesson plans. "You should go to the library. And study. Finals are coming up, and you can't compel your way through those."

She tries to show some decency by looking sheepish. Alaric gives her a knowing look, but exits the classroom.

At first, she meanders through the hallways, fully committed to the idea of wasting away her last period, before she saw the library's large glass door.

"Why not?" She mutters, before yanking it open.

She wanders the aisles, her fingers absentmindedly running against the spines of the books. Eventually, Caroline finds herself in the travel section. Casually, she pulls out the travel guides to Rome, Paris, and Tokyo. She flips through the pages, her eyes taking in the colorful pictures.

"Oh, hell." She hisses to herself, stuffing the books into her bag.

She doesn't even check the books out before she storms out of the library and to her car.

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She ends up at the Grill, two of her books stacked haphazardly on the bar as she nurses a shot of tequila. The guide to Rome she had stolen lay open in front of her as she read about the Vatican Museum.

"Drinking at two in the afternoon, sweetheart?"

She freezes, before slamming the book closed. "Klaus. What are you doing here?"

The man in question grins at her, taking a seat next to her. "You know," he says, ignoring her accusation. "I have a painting hanging in the Vatican."

Caroline scoffs. "Oh really?" Of course you do, She adds to herself mentally.

Klaus leans forward, sliding her shot of tequila away from her. "What, you don't believe me?"

She narrows her eyes. He was watching her earnestly as he tips the rest of the drink down his throat without flinching.

"Look, I gotta go." She finally mumbles in response, pushing the books back into her bag as she slides from the barstool.

"Interesting choice of literature, love," He calls after her, speaking to her back. She could practically hear the smirk in his voice.

She seethes inwardly and pushes the Grill's door closed with the high heel of her boot.

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The travel books were never returned to the library. They remained stacked on her desk, next to the carefully drawn sketch of a girl and a horse. The books were full of dog-eared pages, highlighted passages, and sticky-notes.

He eventually does take her to Rome, and they wander through the cobblestone streets, hand in hand. They go from art museum to art museum, Klaus offering his own opinions and the occasional back story as they go along. He offers her the finest cuisine, from high-end restaurants to eating gelato sold from a stand at the top of the Spanish Steps.

She drags him to churches, and eagerly reads off facts from pamphlets about each one. He finds himself watching her instead of his surroundings.

(He doesn't tell her that he's been to almost all of them, only smiles at her and plays with her golden curls as he listens.)

Klaus takes her to see his painting in the Vatican Museum. She smirks, and critiques him – even though they both know it's perfect.

Late at night, they sit on top of the Coliseum, their legs dangling over the sides as they gaze out at the city lights and the Tiber river. Klaus sketches on a large sketchbook with a piece of charcoal, his eyes flicking up towards the cityscape. And she watches him patiently, her eyes raking over his furrowed brow and the way his tongue pokes out of his mouth subconsciously to wet his lips. She smiles.

He pauses and looks over at her, one eyebrow raised. "Yes, Caroline?"

"I think I'm in the mood for crème brûlée." The French word rolls of her tongue delicately.

Klaus nods and smiles, closing his sketchbook and offering her his charcoal-stained hand.

She takes it.

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Caroline forces him to climb to the top of the Eiffel Tower twice, one for the sun rise and one for the sunset. Klaus thought it was ridiculous to do it twice, but her excited smile stops him, and he gladly runs after her up all 1,710 steps to the summit. Twice. He admits to her the views were worth it.

He takes her to see his painting in the Louvre.

"You did not paint the Mona Lisa!" Caroline growls quietly, her arms crossed as she gazes at the small portrait.

Klaus grins smugly. "And who's to say I didn't?"

She doesn't have a response.

After the Musée d'Orsay, he takes her to Les Catacombes, the tunnel network running under Paris, making her wrinkle her nose.

"You're taking me to see the graves of six million people?" She asks warily.

He chuckles and grabs her hand and starts running at vampire speed; they flash by the tour guides and the never-ending groups of people. "No, I'm taking you to see what the tours don't show you."

However, she followed his lead, and together they explored rooms and passageways previously unknown to the public, camping lanterns held in front of them for light.

"The last time I was here was during the French Revolution." He tells her as they make their way out back into the sunlight. They people watch while sitting on a street corner café, sipping coffees and munching on éclairs.

At night, they sit on top of the Arc de Triomphe, and he sketches her with the Eiffel Tower in the background as she watch all the cars and double-decker tour buses pass by.

"I think it's time to teach you how to make sushi, love." He remarks casually when he finally looks up from his drawing.

He reaches his hand out to her, palm upturned.

She takes it.

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True to his word, Klaus teaches her how to make sushi in Tokyo, in the kitchen of their penthouse.

"So much better than that crap imitation of sushi back home," She gushes happily as she cleans up the leftovers. When she finishes, she leans back up against the counter, her head tilted to the side as she looks at him.

Klaus corners her, pressing his hands into her hips and burrowing his nose into the crook of her neck.

Caroline grins and runs her fingers through his short-cropped hair. "Is there anything else you want to teach me?" She murmurs huskily into his ear.

He growls at her, and she laughs and pulls him closer.

Needless to say, they don't talk for a while.

Afterward, he pulls her through the crowded streets of Tokyo, and eventually wander through the Tsukiji, the world's largest fish market. She watches with fascination as men cut through fillets and threw fish across the aisles to other kiosks. He takes her to the top of the red Tokyo Tower, and finds himself watching the way her hair blows in the breeze instead of the view. He likes to think of her as his own personal sun.

On Sunday, around sunset they wander through the less crowded Meiji Shrine. Caroline smiles as she watches the public wedding precession. Her eyes follow the white kimono clad figure of the bride who only had eyes for her groom.

At night, they walk through Shinjuku Gyoen National Garden, even though no one was allowed there after twilight. But the quiet tranquility of the park makes it feel like Klaus and Caroline are the only ones in the world.

They're standing next to a koi fish pond, when he suddenly pulls her close, inhaling the scent of her hair.

"Where would you like to go next?" He rumbles. His voice sends vibrations throughout her body. Her toes began to curl instinctively.

Caroline grins into his coat. "Anywhere."

He offers her the world.

She takes it.

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Okay, I've been in love with Klaroline since mid-season two when Klaus was first mentioned. And now it's almost canon! Please note that English is not my first language, so if I switch from different tenses or am grammatically incorrect, sorry! Here's to hoping for many more Klaus/Caroline on the show!

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