Giggling and peals of Caroline's laughter wafted through the hallway, her booted footsteps sounding louder as Klaus quickly hid in the closet. He didn't realize Rebekah was home, and if Caroline was there, he wanted to disappear. At least since she found out he and Bethany were broken up, and he didn't think he'd be able to manage not asking her out the second he saw her face again. He sighed in relief, pushing his hand against the door and bowing his head, grateful he'd eluded her, as he didn't hear her any longer.
But a second later the doorknob snapped open and he fell forward, catching himself as Caroline' eyes found his. She didn't ask any questions, crashing into his shoulder as she quickly stepped into the closet. They stood shoulder to shoulder in the dark closet, panting and staring at the door. Both of them half afraid Rebekah would open it right then and there.
"So why're you hiding in here?" Caroline asked, quickly glancing at Klaus for a moment.
"Oh, hiding...from Rebekah." Klaus replied. He had to think of a good reason for why now or else he'd be scorned.
"Why?" She asked
"I'd rather not talk about it." He said quickly. Caroline shrugged and let it go. Klaus looked at her.
"Why're you hiding?" He asked curiously
"We're playing a game, Kol got involved. Things got ugly." She replied, giggling again. He smiled at her laugh and let the subject go. If things were silent, he could adjust to the dark, and he'd be able to see her better. She was still staring at the door.
"Hey," He began nervously, her eyes staying on the door "far be it for me to assume you're not with someone, but...do you think we could...go out, perhaps on a date?" Klaus asked. Caroline closed her eyes and bowed her head, making him frightened briefly.
"I thought you'd never ask." She said with a grin. She turned her head to him and saw a grin mirrored back.
"Well," They hear Rebekah's voice outside the door. Caroline's head snapped back up and their twin deer in the headlights look was blinded by the door swinging open. Caroline and Klaus shielded their eyes and saw Rebekah with her hands on her hips, "that took forever." She said.
And then it was two years of romantic dates. Grand romantic gestures. Spontaneous trips around the world, and Caroline still had her job when she got back to it. They made love on the floor, without worrying anyone would come barging in. But then that was because they'd gotten the door locked. Two years of Klaus reading over her shoulder, and whispering sweet nothings in her ear until they'd kiss and fall asleep on the couch, TV still going. Two years of love speeches and declarations, vows of devotion and passion. No one had to question if this was a good relationship for the both of them. They'd already made eachother good in their years of friendship. And so no one questioned the minutes that they snuck off after Kol's birthday party.
Klaus and Caroline ran laughing down the hallway, the same hallway they'd went down before. When Caroline was trying to escape Rebekah. Only this time, Rebekah was going to make them play beer pong, blindfolded. They closed the door behind them and panted with laughter a little longer, unaware they were still leading Rebekah to them.
"Who knew beer pong could turn so deadly?" Klaus asked, getting another laugh from Caroline, smiling at the sound, following her eyes as she tried to collect herself.
"If Kol hadn't decided on it, we wouldn't be here." She reminded him. He looked away in thought considering her words. It was Kol, he'd found out, that egged Rebekah on to torture her. It was Kol who pushed them into this place now.
He felt a small gold band burning against his skin. It'd been sitting in his pocket for the past month and a half, he'd almost lost it a couple of times. But now when he looked at Caroline, he hadn't ever been more sure of anything in his life except asking one question.
"Marry me." He said. Caroline's laughter cut off and she turned to him with a smile.
"What?" She breathed, laying her hands against his chest. He brought the ring out from his pocket, and showed it to her, eyebrows raised. Caroline stared at the ring with such a tenderness in her eyes, and then looked at him.
"Yes." She breathed again, and Klaus's lips descended over hers in a second, holding her body tighter to his, and awkwardly holding the ring out for Caroline to get it on her finger.
God, it fit perfectly.
She looked up at him and smiled again, kissing him. They stood there in the darkness for a long time, knowing that since everything was quiet; Rebekah, Kol, and his birthday guests would be outside of the door, waiting to start cheering.
