Sunlight by Light-and-Smoke

Chapter 3

Klaus had the manners to drop off Tyler's car and pick up his own in a swift cross over that Caroline barely noticed. They drove all day to get to an airport that would take them off the continent of America. Caroline gazed out the window the whole time, not speaking to or looking at Klaus.

He accepted her silence. He knew his deal with her was vaguely akin to kidnapping, but like most other human things such as guilt and conscience – trivial matters to him, really – he ignored it. Caroline had agreed, hadn't she? She was allowed a little sulking. But he would not be so accepting later.

They stopped off in Washington for a bite. Caroline had a look of absolute disgust on her face as Klaus stated this, and he reminded her harshly that her friends had desiccated him and he, like all of them, like her, needed blood to live. She had still not uttered a word, but waited for him in a diner and retaliated by ordering the most expensive things on the menu with his card. It had been very petty retaliation.

Somewhere between Washington and Baltimore, he glanced over to find her asleep. Good. Klaus inched his way over the speed limit, dodging between cars almost lazily.

They reached their destination a few hours later. Caroline woke up when strong arms lifted her from her seat and carried her away. She instinctively nuzzled herself into the shoulder of this comforting presence, inhaling their delicious scent to the bottom of her lungs, until she woke up enough to recognise that she should not be doing that with this person in particular. She looked up to find his face inches away, smirking in amusement.

"Klaus..." She said groggily, blinking her sky blue eyes, trying to gain more awareness. He was cradling her bridal style, waiting for the lift in a hotel.

"Shall I take the bags up to the room for you, sir?" A concierge with the Hilton uniform asked politely.

"Thank you, no. I'll manage." He replied, tightening his grip on both girl and bags securely as he pulled one arm away to discretely hand the man a tip.

"Certainly." The concierge beamed at Caroline. "Enjoy your stay, miss. Best of luck."

The lift arrived, and Klaus stepped in. Caroline had enough sense to wait till the doors closed before speaking.

"What did he mean?"

Klaus held back a grin, already predicting her fiery reaction. "They think we're eloping."

"What?!"

"Much easier to book a room for a man and woman at such short notice that way."

Caroline fumed. "Well, what about when you travelled with Rebekah?"

Klaus made a face. "Obviously I said she was my sister."

"Then why not just say the same thing now?"

"Didn't want to cause a fuss with the booking. We are trying to move quickly." He glanced down at her again. "And oddly enough, the way I feel about my sister is nowhere near the way I feel about you."

His eyes shouldn't have burned her like that, but they did. She broke his gaze and crossed her arms indignantly, wanting space.

"Put me down."

"It took you this long to realise, sweetheart? Surely you're not that comfortable with me."

She hissed wordlessly at him, and he merely chuckled smugly in response, stepping out of the lift and walking to their hotel room. He opened the door and Caroline stretched out like a board so he couldn't enter the room.

"What now, love?" He grumbled.

"You are not crossing a threshold with me like this." She growled, and he scoffed, but agreed to her demands, placing her back down on the floor.