Am I the only one who thinks 5x11 put the final nail in the Klaroline coffin? Did Klaus get a personality transplant on TO or something? While I'm excited that Caroline finally admitted she wants him, how does someone like him go from "I'm going to be your last love" to "tell me you want me and I'll leave you alone"? Was this hook-up the writers' way of trying to placate us before they make them both move on to other things?

In case you couldn't tell, this episode left me conflicted, so here's a short OS I thought of to deal with it.

Disclaimer: Not mine.

PS: for those of you who are following Two Lost Souls, I'm almost done with the next chapter, it should be up soon.

She brushes off her pants, carefully avoiding his gaze, choosing to focus on her surroundings instead. It's dark now and she doesn't want to think about how long she spent with him today, giving in to this long denied attraction – repeatedly.

She's about to leave without a word when she hears him move behind her, and before she can turn around, he's standing before her, giving her a small smile that is half smug, half sad. Strange mix.

"Will I see you again?"

She sucks in a breath at the loaded question and wishes that she didn't want to say yes. This was supposed to get him out of her system. All it accomplished was that she craves him now more than ever.

She can't deal with this.

So she shrugs it off.

"You promised you would never come back."

"I know," he says solemnly. "I won't."

She nods resolutely and walks past him, intent on leaving for good this time, when she hears him sigh behind her and she abruptly twirls around, her obsessive personality not allowing her to leave things like that between them, with so many things unsaid and a closure that feels nothing like closure.

"Why?" she asks abruptly, her voice sounding more than a little shrill as she asks the question she should have asked as soon as he showed up. When he just looks at her questioningly, clearly taken aback by her mood swing, she strides over to him and stands tall in front of him, hands on her hips. "Why did you promise me that? Was it because you knew I'd give in? What, all this time, all you wanted was a quick fuck? Is that it?"

"I'd say it was more than a quick fuck," he replies with a smirk and a pointed look at the dark sky, making her huff in frustration.

"You know what I mean!"

Seeing that she's in no mood for games, he gives her a single nod, his expression now serious.

"Why do you think? Do you think I don't know that your plans for the immediate future don't involve me?" he asks, reminding her of her little speech before they both stopped talking for hours. "Do you think I want to keep coming back here every few weeks on the off chance that I'll catch a glimpse of you?" She averts her eyes, wondering if that's what he's been doing, if his presence here today has anything to do with Katherine at all. She would have died whether he came or not, and he has more important things to do than travel halfway across the country to gloat before a powerless enemy. When he realizes that she's not going to answer what was more of a rhetorical question anyway, he gives another sigh and she looks back at him. "I needed something, Caroline. Some kind of hope that you would seek me out one day. I didn't think it would lead to this. Though you won't hear me complaining," he adds with a smile.

She smiles back tentatively, accepting this last comment for what it is, an attempt to lighten the mood and a way out of a too deep conversation should she choose to take it. But she doesn't want to. She's been playing dumb for too long when it comes to him – them.

"So what, you're… giving up?" she asks somewhat incredulously.

"No. I told you before, I'm in this for the long run. I'm just leaving the next move up to you."

"I thought I just made the next move," she notes, and his eyes flick down to her lips at the reminder.

He shakes his head, either in denial or to clear his thoughts, she's not sure, and he brings a hand up to rest against her cheek.

"Sex is easy, love. I'm hoping you'll find me when you're ready for more."

"I may never be."

He gives her another smile at that, one that is so full of longing she feels like she might start crying any second, and he leans down. She closes her eyes in preparation for his kiss, but he just lets his cheek brush against hers and brings his lips close to her ear.

"You need to adjust your perception of time."

A strangled laugh escapes her at the memory and at the flashes of everything they've been through since that night in her bedroom it brings with it.

"I'll try," she answers just as quietly, her lips curving up into a smile at the soft kiss he places at the corner of her mouth then.

"Goodbye, Caroline."

"Until next time, Klaus."

THE END