A/N: If that Esther bitch offs my originals, there will be hell to pay. (Also, I own nothing. Except a fiery penchant for vengeance—YES WRITERS, I'm TALKING TO YOU.)

This is an AU Klaroline fic, wherein Caroline meets Klaus and falls for him, not knowing that he is, in fact, Klaus. Oh, the drama.

All chapter quotes go to Spring Awakening (a brilliant rock musical ala Broadway).

.:.

"Something started crazy."

.:.

The day she meets him, Caroline is coming off the end of one of the worst days on record. Her mother is having one of those days—the ones when she realises that Caroline is actually a vampire. She'd errantly mentioned something about grandchildren at breakfast, and then realised that Caroline could never give her that. Caroline was frozen, an animate form of a body that should have died, smothered in a hospital bed. Her realisation had been greeted by an awkward silence that Caroline hadn't known how to fill, before Liz had excused herself, using the office as a way to avoid her. On top of that, Caroline had seemingly offended Bonnie again, by finally telling her that she was sick of walking on thin ice just because of what she was. Caroline hadn't spoken to Elena about it, but there was no wat the Elena would see it from her side. Humans with humans, Caroline supposed. Even if one of them was a witch. At least Bonnie was human.

And then Tyler had called. They'd been having their problems, since that day that Tyler had been turned into a hybrid. Caroilne had managed to get herself locked out of the evening, and somehow avoided seeing her own boyfriend die at the hands of the Original vampire. By the time she'd finally gotten back inside, and managed to get through the doors again, Matt had been drenched in water, Bonnie had been freaking out, and Tyler was grinning happily at her as he bounced off the walls. Then he dropped the hybrid bomb and everything had changed between them.

She had yet to meet Klaus, but when she did, Caroline avowed to give him a piece of her fucking mind.

Anyway, Tyler had called. And they'd gone on to have that conversation that Caroline had been trying really, really hard to avoid. Everything came up. Her insecurities, the dangers of them being together, his devotion to Klaus. Even her freaking relationship with Matt came up, in one of Tyler's more personal digs. "How am I supposed to feel when you're still making moon eyes at my best friend every second?" Which she wasn't. Making mooneyes at Matt, that is. Matt was way over her and her supernatural gig, and Caroline was happier with Tyler.

Or, at least she had been. Until that asshole hybrid had dumped her. "Maybe it's better we take a break, for a while." He had said slowly. "Just until we get our heads screwed on straight."

Her head was screwed on straight, thank you very much. And what the fuck did 'a break' mean? They weren't freaking Ross and Rachel. If Caroline had to be anyone, it was someone who liked to know where she stood.

So it's with a furious huff that she drops herself into one of the plush leather seats. As soon as she sits though, she realises she is entirely alone, and probably even more pathetic than those people who sat at the bar and moped about their own lives. She is about to pick up her phone and get herself into more trouble by calling Matt, when he drops into the seat opposite her, and holds out a drink.

"Milkshake," he says with a coy smile. "You look like you need one."

And she does. Not even just the drink. She needs a good looking guy to sit down in the seat opposite her and just look like he was willing to help. If it had been any other day, at any other time, then Caroline would have smirked, assuming that her looks and confidence had brought him over. But not today. She's in a bad mood, and she's just so not interested.

Caroline narrows her eyes at him, but wearily reaches for the drink he's brought. Pulling it closer and peering into it, she notes that it's a strawberry milkshake. It's only then that she realises that the sweet drink is exactly what she needs on a day like this—especially if she can't get her hands on anything stronger (blood or alcohol—at this point, she wouldn't mind).

Still, she doesn't touch it. She knows enough about Mystic Falls to know that strangers rarely come baring odd drinks with only kindness in mind.

What follows is an odd mix of aggression and amusement as the two of them talk to each other. She demands that he tell her his name, but he's more interested in finding out why she's in such a bad mood. She wants to know why he's even talking to her. He wants to know who the guy is that she's moping over and how he can hurt him. She tells him that there is no guy, and even if there was, she doesn't mope. Also, it's so not up to this guy to hurt Tyler.

Not that Tyler's the guy. Because there is no guy.

He pushes the milkshake at her again.

"Drink," he urges.

She rolls her eyes. "As if that's going to work. You're probably a rapist or something."

The man frowns. "It's four o'clock in the afternoon." He observes, frowning slightly.

Caroline shrugs. "That could be when you do your hunting." She says errantly. "There's no way I'm drinking that."

He watches her for a moment before a light smirk makes its way onto his face. He seems to know that his argument isn't be good enough for her so he leans forward again, pulling the drink away from her. He leans back into his seat, and gives her a good long look before pulling the straw from the drink and lifting the cup to his lips.

He takes a long draw from the cup, the straw dangling delicately from his long fingers, never once letting his gaze leave hers. Then he pulls back. Caroline expects there to be a pink milk line on his lips, but if there was, he'd licked it away before she can see it.

"See?" he says, with a bright lilt. "Not poison."

She scoffs audibly. "Oh please," she says with a quick eye-roll for added effect. "I've seen The Princess Bride. It's easy to build up a resistance to poison."

Probably not the most substantial of arguments, but she's still pissed and she's still tired and still so not in the mood to argue with this guy.

Whatever it is, her argument makes him smirk again. She can already tell from those few moments speaking to him that he's one of those guys who keeps the smirk on his face twenty four seven.

"Life isn't a fairytale, luv."

She notes at about that point that he's British.

He's also a dick.

She squares her shoulders. "Well obviously." She snaps. "If it were, I'd be sitting here talking to someone who I know and like, instead of you."

"Touché, luv." He says. His smirk (which she's decided is his trademark thing) widens into a grin and it makes Caroline feel smart for her comment. She isn't usually seen as the witty one in conversation. His grin relaxes back into a casual smile and his eyes seem to sparkle as he watches her. "You can call me Nick."

Caroline scoffs again and rolls her eyes. "How does that help?"

He grins again.

"Well, now you know me."

.:.

She's not sure how he did it, but she finds that his personality it almost intoxicating. He's confident—he'd have to be to just buy her a drink and let her judge him as readily as he did. But he's also refined and classy. He's not making lewd jokes, or innuendo (although, she has only known him for about an hour. He feels like the kind of guy quick enough to used innuendo almost casually. Maybe that will come further into their relationship). Instead, he's listening to her talk and giving her real, substantial responses about how she can deal with her friends. (She's left out the more unbelievable aspects of her life, and stuck to just talking about her petty personal dramas).

Maybe it's because of the accent, but she likes him. (Way too much for a girl who's been dumped only a couple of hours ago).

So she stays and speaks with Nick for at least an hour. By the time she's finished, she's almost entirely forgotten about Tyler. Of course, there's still a dull thrum ni the back of her mind reminding her that she's supposed to be miserable, but she can't bring herself to force that emotion out. It's nice talking to Nick. Pleasant even. He seems to know the exact right thing to say.

Bonnie says that you guys had a fight? Sleepover at mine tonight, so we can sort everything out, k? She says she's really sorry. –E

Caroline can't quite manage to keep her irritation inside as she scoffs at the message. Of course Bonnie has made it to Elena's. And like always, they've teamed up, so that she really has no choice but head over there and apologise to Bonnie. Elena will take it as both of them apologising—because obviously, Bonnie will have mentioned that she maybe regrets it a little to Elena. But Caroline will be the one who has to say 'I'm Sorry' out loud.

Nick, who'd been in the middle of telling her how to deal with her mid-terms, pauses. "Something wrong?"

For a moment, she debates between telling him or staying silent. But, to be honest, she's sick of really lying. It would be nice to have someone on her side this time—not Matt, who's always out to defend Elena, or Bonnie. So she sighs, and pushes her hair out of her face before beginning. "I kind of got into a fight with my friend, today." She explains quietly. "But she's gone to our other friend already, so I'll have to be the one who apologises." She rolls her eyes. "Like always."

The last bit, she mutters to herself more than to him, but he hears. Leaning forward, he folds his arms on the table and watches her closely for a moment.

"Do you have to apologise?" he asks curiously.

Caroline starts. "What? Well, yeah—no one else is going to—"

He waves a casual hand, brushing her words aside. "No," he interrupts her. "Do you have to apologise? Or are you just doing it so that they won't. Are you wrong?"

Caroline looks straight to her hands, folded in her lap. Swallowing, she thinks about it. It is one of those arguments where she knows she's right—but she also knows that Bonnie thinks exactly the same. It isn't fair that just because Katherine had killed her to get to Elena and the Salvatores, Caroline has to work hard every day to get Bonnie's respect. Caroline was used to having to work to prove she wasn't as shallow as everyone assumed, but for Bonnie to look at her as though she was an abomination hurt.

Caroline shakes her head, and says with a small voice, "No."

Nick leans forward in his chair further even, his head low. He watches her with his piercing eyes. "Then don't apologise. Change up a little. If you didn't do anything wrong, then you shouldn't be the one who has to play the bad guy. You're better than that."

The words have a profound impact on her. Caroline can't remember the last time she's been told to do something for herself. If it wasn't Tyler, pleading with her to ignore the sire bond for Klaus, then it was Damon, ordering her to not do something because he thought it was stupid. If it wasn't Elena gently telling her that she was being silly, then it was Bonnie who was still disappointed with her, even though she was doing everything she could to deny her nature. If it wasn't her mother, hoping that she'd move so that Liz wouldn't be reminded what her daughter was, it was Rick, who was always sharing a look with Damon behind her back, because she was still the only one of them who acted like they were still at high school.

Maybe it's because she just isn't prepared to hear that from anyone, that Caroline's eyes immediately flick to her phone screen. Gesturing the machine in the air with a helpless little wave, she pouts.

"But they've invited me over now. If I don't go, I'm the one in the wrong."

"A strong person would stick to their convictions. A weak person would demand forgiveness or apology." Nick's voice falls smooth and sharp—again with that accent—so much so that Caroline's gaze darts up to meet his. There's something about him, a sheer confidence that confuses her. How could someone be so assured of their own convictions?

Seeing that his convictions didn't done the trick this time, Nick goes on to shrug. "Tell them your phone was off. You didn't get the message until tomorrow."

Again, it's a suggestion, but the way he says it—so slick—makes Caroline wonder why she'd ever wanted to go in the first place.

"That does mean that I'll be turning down my friends for an evening of moping at home, by myself." Caroline points out with a sigh. "And I'd like to say I'm not that pathetic."

"Then don't do either," he declares instantly in response.

Caroline frowns. "What?"

His grin widens. There's something about the smile that makes Caroline excited, now. But it also sends a thrill of fear and anticipation down her spine.

"Come out with me."

.:.

A/N: The chapters are all going to be short. This is a short, concise story, if I can help it. Maybe about six or seven chapter. Absolutely no more than ten... (we'll see. I tend to go off on tangents, occasionally).

Also, I am aware of the correct spelling of 'Niklaus'. Correctly, I assume that 'Nik' is the way that it's spelt when it's just the first syllable, and 'Klaus' is obviously the second half. But I reckon that if Caroline met a bloke calling himself 'Nik' she'd just assume it was spelt the modern way, oui? ;)

PS. I figured if Klaus can't tell the difference between Elena and Katherine, then Caroline wouldn't be able to automatically tell that Klaus is a vampire.

ten reviews for an update ;)