Beauty And The Beast // Klaroline AU

Chapter 31

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Caroline's POV

Klaus bites his lip, pushing away a strand of hair from his eyes as he focuses on the screen intensely.

"What the hell?! When did that banana peel get there?!" I yell, aggravated as my Mario Kart character flips over, stunned for a few seconds before continuing the race.

"Ha!" Klaus laughs loudly to which I roll my eyes at, secretly hiding a smile.

"Why are you still in first?" I whine, furrowing my eyebrows at my place. The real question is how am I still in fifth?

Klaus giggles childishly, "because I'm amazing. I told you not to try to beat me on this one."

"Oh will you two stop flirting with each other for one second? God, it makes me want to puke," Kol suddenly chimes in from the other couch.

Klaus doesn't need to take his eyes away from the screen to throw a nearby pillow at his younger brother who gasps dramatically at the action.

"That should be a disqualification! He distracted me!" Kol practically shrieks even though no one listens.

I laugh to myself, admiring this side of the Mikaelson family. I've grown close to all of them. It's like I'm apart of their family somehow.

"You're just mad you're in last," Rebekah smirks from beside him, her controller gripped in her hand as she competitively attempts to beat Klaus to first, nearly succeeding.

"This is not fair," Kol continues with his incessant whining.

"Don't be a sore loser, Kol. Maybe you'll actually make it to fifth place next time!" I respond sharply.

Kol sends me daggers but can't help the smirk which makes its way onto his face. He's like the baby of the family, being nearly the youngest. We all tease him, but he knows it's only jokingly.

It's nearing the last lap and Klaus is still in first. I've moved up to fourth, extremely focused on my strategy of winning. It's so odd to me, the fact I'm playing a childish video game with original vampires. I giggle to myself.

"What?" Klaus asks quietly as the rest taunt each other loudly, quickly glancing at me.

"Nothing," I shrug, gently nudging his shoulder. He smiles and my heart races.

"Yes!" Klaus suddenly announces, standing up in victory. I roll my eyes, the rest of us soon finishing after him.

"I swear you cheat!" Freya rolls her eyes at her younger brother rubbing in his victory.

"Just pure skill, my friends. Pure skill," he smirks.

I grin, "alright, I'm done. It's getting late anyways."

"Me too, I can't take another game of my brother using his tactics to cheat his way through the game," Kol stands up as well, the rest soon following.

"Call it what you want, I still won every round."

"You threw a pillow at me!"

"You were being annoying!" Klaus retaliates.

Kol wickedly grins, quickly running up to Klaus and tackling him to the floor. I watch in admiration at the two brothers, unable to help myself as I laugh at their childish behavior.

"They always do this," Rebekah tells me, rolling her eyes with a fond smile.

It doesn't take long for Klaus to pin his brother to the floor, smiling devilishly.

"I still win, brother!" he teases Kol who only rolls his eyes. Klaus lets him up, the two of them standing, red in the face from the small play fight.

This side of Klaus is what I find amusing. It makes me think that maybe there's actually a redeemable side to him.

"I let him win," Kol whispers to me, clearly lying.

"Sure you did," I laugh, catching Klaus's eye.

"What was that, brother?" he smiles, as if challenging him once again.

"Oh nothing," he walks away, giving me a quick wink before heading upstairs.

Everyone eventually scatters around the house, some of them relaxing in the living room and the rest drinking alcohol in the kitchen together, laughing as they reminisce about their many old stories. Klaus and I stand in the hallway together.

"I never realized you were so competitive," he lets out a smile.

I can't help but laugh, "says you Mr. First Place."

"Kol fancies you, you know," he states the obvious.

"I think I realized that when he told me he'd love to paint me naked."

Klaus's face becomes flushed as he laughs loudly, "that does sound like my brother."

We both pause for a moment, our eyes locked on each other.

"Do you like him?" he questions, his voice a bit low and sounding nervous, insecure, even.

"Kol's not my type."

Relief washes over his face, "well good. I don't think you'd two look good as a couple."

"That was blunt."

"It's the truth," he replies.

"I don't think we'd be good together either. Plus, I'm not interested in him."

"Oh really?"

"Mhm."

"Anyone else on your mind?" he suggests, his eyes full of wonder.

"I don't really know yet. Maybe," I answer truthfully, the two of us both knowing exactly who anyone else is.

"I have something to confess, Caroline," Klaus suddenly states, his eyes now settled on the floor as if it's the most interesting thing he's ever seen. A faint blush paints his cheeks.

"What is it?" I ask, patiently waiting for him to respond. My heart feels like it could beat out of my chest any moment. I have a feeling of what he's going to say, but the minute he says it, everything will change.

"I-"

"Klaus! Where's the rest of your wine? We're thirsty!" Rebekah and Freya giggle from the kitchen, seemingly tipsy.

Klaus sighs, looking back to me before heading in the kitchen.

My heart stops, my mind coming to complete realization of why I've been so nervous around him lately.

I don't know how it's happened, but it has, and I can't change that.

I have feelings for Klaus Mikaelson.

• • •

You all hate me for that cliffhanger I guess? ;)

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