Sunlight

Chapter 15: Fierce and Fragile

The hour after seemed tinged with bitterness after Tyler's appearance.

They walked in silence for a while till they found themselves at the Louvre. Klaus looked questioningly at Caroline, and she shrugged, not wanting to be the one to say the first word, wondering what his would be. They walked up to the door despite the queue, Klaus compelling the guard to let them in. Caroline made a small noise of discontent, but was otherwise silent.

They walked through the sleek modern entry hall, and Klaus clasped Caroline's hand to lead her through the crowd to the stairs and narrowed hallways, meandering with his hand still around hers. Caroline breathed a small sigh of relief. Maybe everything was okay.

He pointed out certain landscapes and portraits and sculptures, and she nodded and listened to the small facts he stated, but waited to be caught up in artworks that jumped out at her.

The first was The Winged Victory, which pleased Klaus greatly. Caroline stared, spellbound by the sculpture, despite the missing arms and head.

"Isn't it magnificent." Klaus murmured, reverting back to his previous mission to constantly be in contact with her as he wrapped his arms around her waist and smiled softly when she pressed the side of her head against his jaw.

"What makes it so...mesmerizing?"

"Well, you're speaking to someone who is a little biased on what is mesmerizing," He swirled his fingers across the area of her rib cage on which they rested to imply who mesmerized him in particular. "But I'd say it was the movement of the statues figure, and the lack of arms and head."

"What happened to them?"

"Not certain. I'm not actually that old, you know." He teased, and she shrugged.

"Oh, you know, just cause you're a million," She jolted as his fingers dug playfully into her ribcage, ticking her so she moved and laughed against him, making him hold her tighter for pure pleasure.

"A million? Since that's a big step down from a billion, I'll take that as a compliment." He chuckled into the shell of her ear, before she twisted her neck to look at him.

"Really, what happened to them?" She asked, directing the conversation back to the statue.

"I honestly don't know. It was made almost a thousand years before I was even a thought."

"So you aren't the oldest thing in the building. Must be a nice thought."

Klaus narrowed his eyes teasingly, and Caroline poked her tongue out. He shocked her by swiftly nipping the tip of her tongue with blunt teeth, repeating the action on her nose when she gasped and giggled in surprise.

"Never figured you'd be one for surprises." She murmured against him, and he looked at her questioningly.

"Really, love? I'm full of surprises."

Caroline did have to agree with that. Many instances in Mystic Falls would confirm that Klaus was anything but predictable. She grinned as an idea came to her.

"Want to play a game, then?" She whispered against his stubbled cheek, feeling it rise in a mischievous grin.

"What did you have in mind, love?"

"Hide and Seek."

"I thought you said you'd be terrible at that."

"That's why I'm creating new rules. Caroline rules. Guess where I'll be in the Louvre."

"And what do I get if I guess correctly?" Klaus asked, his hands sliding halfway up the back of her shirt. Caroline arced against him, pressing herself against his broad chest.