First Kiss

This drabble was inspired by the Day 2 and Day 9 prompts from "10 Days of Klaroline" on Tumblr (you can find me there at venomandchampagne). The prompts were "if Caroline was to go to NOLA what would be the first thing you want her to say to Klaus" and "how do you think the real kiss of Klaus and Caroline will be like," so I combined them and this is what I came up with.

The last thing he expected to see when he opened the door was her. But that's exactly who he found standing there in the rain that night. Caroline Forbes. Beautiful, strong, full of light. Just as he remembered.

The last time he saw her seemed like so long ago. Yet it also felt like it was yesterday. The things she did to his mind. The things she did to his heart. He opened his mouth to speak, so many thoughts rushing through his mind he wasn't sure what would come out of his mouth first, but she stopped him with a raised hand and a firm look.

"Wait. Before you say anything, and you always have something to say, let me go first. Because if I don't tell you how I feel right now, I'm afraid I never will." she said, her face the definition of serious.

Klaus stood there staring at the beauty before him, not sure he could speak even if she hadn't asked him not to. His undead heart was beating faster than it ever had since he was turned. Here she was, standing in front of him, rain water still dripping from her hair, her clothes clinging to her skin. He shook his head, clearing it before his mind wandered too far down that route. Focus. Could she be here, finally, to admit that she felt something for him, that she returned his feelings? Were his dreams, literally, coming true?

But no, that was impossible. Niklaus Mikaelson never truly got what he desired. His hybrids, a true family, happiness; especially not happiness. No, happiness was not something he deserved, not something he ever got. It would be weak to even hope for it.

Perhaps he should stop her before she said whatever it was she was going to say. Probably something about how he needed to stop stalking her already and that she was putting an end to this… thing between them. That's when he noticed that she had already been speaking while he had been deep in thought. Well, babbling at least it seemed.

"… And then after Stefan gave me his advice, I finally got in my car and just drove here, and wow, I did not think it would take so long! Do you have any idea what the rest stops between here and Mystic Falls look like? No I suppose you don't," she continued, barely stopping for a breath let alone to allow him to answer. "I bet you have a private plane or something and wouldn't be caught dead at a public rest stop. Or undead I guess. Anyway, so, now I'm here. Standing on your doorstep. In the rain. With you staring at me with that look. Silently. Will you say something already?" she blurted out, wrapping her arms around herself in a protective gesture.

"I thought you didn't want me to say anything," Klaus answered smoothly, hiding his insecurities behind his signature smirk.

"Ugh, you are exasperating!" she sighed. "I just wanted to get everything out before I chickened out or something. And now it's your turn. Well?"

"Well, what?" he asked, racking his brain for a question in the little bit of her speech that he had actually focused on.

"'Well what?' Are you kidding me? Did you not listen to anything I just said?" Caroline cried out, dropping her hands to her sides.

"Of course I did." he lied, taking a second too long to answer to be convincing.

"Seriously?! After everything I just- and you didn't even- I spent the entire ride rehearsing- you're infuriating, you know that?" Caroline yelled, gesturing wildly with her hands, clearly frustrated.

"Love, come now, don't be angry. Just tell me again what you came here to say," Klaus tried, reaching out a hand to grab her, pull her in closer, reassure her maybe, he wasn't exactly sure. He just wanted to touch her.

Caroline stepped back, dodging his hand. "Maybe this was a bad idea after all. I should just go."

She turned on her heel to leave the porch, rushing back out into the rain. Klaus caught the look on her face before she turned away, his heart stopping. There was such raw emotion in her eyes for that brief moment. Pain, sadness, regret, a hint of anger. He sped after her, flashing in front of her before she could leave. Before it was too late.

"Love- Caroline, I'm sorry. Forgive me?" He said as he grabbed her hands in his.

Caroline looked up at him in surprise. She had thought he had just ignored her speech because he had moved on, that his promises of waiting for her, for "however long it takes," were just words without any real meaning. Pretty words to play with her mind. But the look on his face right now; she knew he wasn't messing with her.

She sighed before pressing her lips together into a thin line. "Fine. But why weren't you listening? Is my being here such an awful thing that you can't be bothered to pay attention? I'm sorry if you didn't want to see me…" she trailed off as she looked down, her voice barely a whisper.

"I will always want to see you," he answered quickly, tilting her chin back up with a finger, forcing her to look him in the eyes. "Don't ever think otherwise, sweetheart. Now, please, tell me what you came here to say." Klaus pleaded, his eyes searching hers for any hint of what she was going to tell him. Not finding any, he braced himself for the inevitable rejection he was sure was to come.

Caroline took a deep breath before she answered him. "I was trying to tell you that… that I… This thing between us… I can't…"

Klaus could see where this was headed. She was obviously done putting up with his unwanted advances. She was probably here to tell him she and his poor excuse for a hybrid were getting married or some other ridiculously human thing. That she wanted him to leave her alone for good now. Well, he would just save her the trouble. And himself the pain.

"There's no need for that, love." he said coldly, dropping his hands, already missing her touch. "I get the message loud and clear. Save your words and just go back to your mutt and leave me in peace," he practically snarled before he turned to head back into his house, a scowl on his face.

"What? What are you talking about?" Caroline said, frowning deeply at him, her forehead creasing. "Tyler never even bothered to come home after you freed him. He broke up with me in a freaking voicemail." she said, glaring at the memory.

Klaus spun around, surprise evident in his features. "Then why are you here?" he asked curiously.

"If you had bothered to listen to me in the first place you would know!" Caroline yelled at him, her frustration clearly winning out.

"Love," he said warningly. "Just answer me. Why are you here?"

"Because I'm falling in love with you, you idiot!" she yelled, unable to control herself. Her exasperation with the situation overrode any nervousness she still felt. Until after the words left her mouth, anyway.

Klaus' eyes widened to comedic levels at her blurted words. He guessed he probably looked similar to Caroline, whose eyebrows had ridden up almost to her hairline and her mouth had dropped open. As he took in the beautiful red flush sweeping across her cheeks her words finally hit him. She was falling for him. She could love him. Him, Niklaus Mikaelson, Original Hybrid, evil incarnate; loved.

"I mean, I came to tell you that all of this," Caroline continued quickly, gesturing between them. "I'm finally ready to give it a shot. The things you say to me, the things you do for me, only me… I've finally decided to stop lying to myself and just-"

Klaus rushed forward, catching Caroline off guard and causing her to end her babbling. He held her head between his hands, searching her eyes for any indication of betrayal, still unable to let himself believe in a happy ending.

Caroline raised her hands up to cover his own. "You told me if I showed up on your doorstep you'd show me the world. Does your offer still stand?" she asked quietly, smiling up at him.

As the rain ran down both of them in rivulets, Klaus gave her his answer. Pulling her face to his, he crushed his lips against hers, catching her by surprise. Caroline quickly recovered, however, and tangled her hands in his wet, curly hair, moving her lips against his.

Eventually the two broke apart, gasping for air. Klaus gave Caroline a self-satisfied smirk which she of course rolled her eyes at before taking his hand in her own and dragging him into his house, out of the rain. For the first time in a thousand years, Klaus felt truly happy.