Red Passion

Chapter 20

Caroline wakes up curled into Klaus, a beaming smile stretching on her lips as her eyes flutter open and focus on the hybrid right next to her.

Of course, he's already awake. In all honesty, she doubts he has slept at all.

"Hey," she whispers, laying a soft kiss on the exposed skin of his neck.

He looks down at her, trying to appear calm and comforting, but she immediately sees right through him—it's another one of their things—and sighs.

Even if just for a handful of fleeting moments, she really wanted to be able to pretend that the two of them were nothing more than a normal couple awaking next to each other in the morning, she wanted to be able to briefly forget that they were about to get ready for a war–

–for a funeral–

–instead, and that their lives were the farthest thing from perfect that there is.

But worried, dark shadows are clouding Klaus' stiff features, and the illusion of bliss that she has created in her mind bursts right in front of her still half sleepy eyes, broken as soon as their gazes meet.

A warm hand cups her cheek, titling her head upwards and bringing her back to the present, away from the troubled recesses of her madly spinning mind.

Klaus' thumb gently caresses along her bottom lip, and she attempts a feeble smile.

"How are you feeling?" he asks after a few moments of silence, wearing a small frown.

What she answers isn't exactly an answer, and they both know it.

"I will be okay," she nods with conviction, really trying to make herself believe it more than him.

"I know you will," he immediately responds, his lips pressed tightly together in what she assumes is supposed to be somewhat of a smile.

His words reassure her, and she feels a content warmth spreading throughout her chest at the knowledge that he has faith in her, in her strength to face whatever is about to come.

"What about you?"

For a long moment, he doesn't reply, instead bringing her slightly closer and tenderly resting his forehead against hers as he exhales.

"As long as you are safe, I am happy."

She nods minutely and then surges forward, closing the small distance left between them and softly taking his lips with hers.

It's a slow, languid kiss, both parts taking their time to really savor the other's taste, their lips meeting over and over again in a lazy and yet passionate, familiar dance that they have perfected beyond excellence by now.

Soon enough, everything could be different, and it's a thought too heavy to bear.

Klaus' hands move down Caroline's neck and back, temptingly, taking a firm hold of her thin hips as the blonde stealthily lifts a leg up underneath the covers to curl it around his waist.

She feels him grin against her lips at the motion, his tongue finally peeking out and asking entrance to her mouth, an entrance which she gladly allows as her fingers find the hem of the shirt that he wore to bed the night before.

The garment is up and off his body in a matter of seconds, their lips briefly disconnecting as he helps her skim out of her pajama shorts and quickly disposes of the white Henley that she has stolen from him days ago now and that she sneakily loves to sleep in.

Her chest is gloriously bare underneath the flimsy fabric, and the hybrid immediately takes advantage of that, his head lowering towards the valley between her breasts, eagerly licking and sucking, covering every single inch of her soft, flawless skin with his adoring lips.