Conflated

Chapter 12

I can't imagine a world with you gone
The joy and the chaos, the demons we're made of
I'd be so lost if you left me alone
- Chord Overstreet
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He marinated the chicken cubes in salsa sauce with a touch of pesto before he rolled it in corn flour. It was way fancier than her usual messy nuggets with too much oil, but it looked delicious, without even being fried yet. She observed him as he worked his toned arms through the chopping, slathering and all. He had never looked more attractive, even in his night sweat clothes. Her stomach growled at the sight of the meat turning brown as it grizzled to a perfect melody. It was too overrated but she was way too hungry to be in her right mind.

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Klaus opened the door to see Caroline in her crepe pajama shirt dress and shorts underneath them. She opened her mouth to say something but froze when she saw him. Her gaze travelled from his smoldering blue eyes to his lips and back to his eyes. She had regretted it the second she knocked on his bedroom and wished she had just stayed in hers instead. Or gone to Katherine's. But she was here. Caroline wondered whether he was perhaps right, that maybe she needed him to be her sleeping companion and almost laughed out loud as it sounded somewhat absurd in her head and yet, here she was proving him somewhat right.

He politely smiled at her, and opened the door wider for her to enter and she hesitantly looked at him for a moment and realized there was nothing else she could do and so walked in.

He shut the door behind her as she slipped into his room, taking tiny steps further in, looking around and reviewing all its elegance.

When he gestured to the bed, Caroline smiled and climbed up; sitting at the edge of it and Klaus seated himself next to her, his eyes fixated on her.

"Is everything alright?" He smiled and tucked a loose stray of hair behind her ears, his fingers lingering there as he stared into her eyes, drawn like never before. For the first time in forever he wanted something although the "what" remains obscure to his frustration. But he wanted it so badly. And he will not let her slip away, at least not without a fight.

"Yeah... I was just..." She muttered. "Couldn't sleep." A sly grin graced his lips and Caroline looked at him through narrowed eyes, irritated. "Shut up, you jerk." She gave him a playful shove returning his smile. She was growing tired and Klaus could see how drowsy she felt as she shifted her gaze back from him to the floor.

"I didn't say anything, love." He chuckled, climbing up to the bed and held out his hand. "You look tired. Come here." Caroline raised her eyebrows as a question, with a smirk and joked. "I'll tell you a bedtime story."

She shook her head lightly and then took his hand with a smile

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This day had begun splendidly for Klaus. Elijah and Rebekah would be back today. He checked his phone, as soon as his eyes opened and was glad to be informed about them being on their way to New Orleans, with the captives, after three whole days. Everything had gone smoothly according to their sagacious plan. He expected them at sundown.

He also had thought about a plan to get his brother out of jail and all he needed was the consent of his siblings and well, Bill Forbes' support. That was a matter to be discussed with his family, after he attended their new visitors.

Klaus got out of the shower, his strong torso was covered in water droplets and nothing but a towel hung low on his waist. He pulled another towel from his dressing room and walked into his bedroom, ruffling his hair dry with it, when the door slammed open, and there she was, angry and resentful for some reason Klaus couldn't apprehend. He turned around from the mirror and looked at her, utterly demented with worry.