Gravity

Death in the Family

Klaus was watching the woman sleeping next to him, she was lying on her back facing him, her hair was perfectly falling on her side, she had one hand over the sheet above her chest and the other just next to her face adorably finishing up the amazing portrait that he had this morning.

The city gloriously displayed outside from his balcony held nothing to the woman sleeping closely to him, he wanted to be upset because Caroline was not sleeping on his chest as she usually did but this also allowed him to savor the moment differently.

There was a hint of a smile in her wonderful lips and he smiled as well, surely she was having a good dream, unconsciously she moved her hand by the side of her face and searched for him as she always did, Klaus took her hand softly into his and Caroline sighed peacefully in her sleep.

Then she slowly opened her eyes to find him looking at her, she stretched her arms lazily and moaned fully waking up. "You didn't sleep again..." she moved her hand so that she could stroke his face sweetly.

Klaus moved from resting on his elbow to rest on his back, he rested his head over his folded arm staring at a ceiling covered in art. "Watching you is far more enjoyable than sleeping, it would be a waste of time if I closed my eyes instead of indulging on the beauty next to me."

Caroline rolled her eyes. "Well, I did sleep and I dreamed of you, we were dancing."

Klaus turned his head to look at her. "You were smiling in your sleep."

She huffed softly. "You should definitely sleep and stop watching me, you'll grow really tired of me if you keep doing that."

"Impossible." Klaus whispered taking in every detail of her face.

Caroline stroked his and ran her thumb over his lips, Klaus leaned over to give her a wonderful soft kiss, she licked her lips when he pulled away enjoying the way his taste lingered with her.

Klaus lowered his eyes and rested them on her chest, he was serious now and moved the sheet enough to touch her skin just above her heart, there was no scar but there had been a knife in there, pierced through her perfect ivory skin, he trailed his fingers through the circle he still remembered very vividly as if it was today.

For a moment there Klaus recalled everything, the way she had winced in pain, the horrible image of his mother twisting the knife inside of Caroline's heart and then her death in his arms, the way he felt overpowered by his feelings as he held Caroline's dying body.

"Hey..." Caroline whispered.

He woke from his reliving nightmare.

She stroked his hair gently and smiled warmly at him. "It's ok... I'm here now. I'm not going anywhere and everything is ok Nik. I'm here... alive."

He halfheartedly smiled and then kissed her chest, just above this dreaded place where she had been stabbed.

Caroline closed her eyes as he did so.

"We should get dressed." he said regaining his posture and letting an honest smile grace his features, he pulled the sheet back up her chest, putting this matter to rest. "I promised to show you Italy, did I not?"

Caroline smiled and stroked his chin. "Well..." she said seductively before she licked her lips in that oh so inviting way of hers. "In all honesty, Italy has been pretty incredible so far... Niklaus."

Klaus wavered like butter in the sun, he struggled with the notion that she had called his full name and with the fact that he loved it more than he thought it could ever be possible. "Are you... really angry with me or really... happy?" he asked suspicious and also confused.