This was written by the request of the lovely Epitomeofme! Enjoy :) Keep in mind, italics are flashbacks :D

Disclaimer: I don't own TVD.

Always You

"Klaus." He was surprised when he heard his name said sweetly from behind him, by a familiar voice, and the Original turned with shock.

"Caroline." He swallowed heavily. "You're here." Here in New Orleans, he thought incredulously.

"Yes. I am." Hope sprung in his chest at her words, until she lifted a hand up. "But, not the way you think."

"Ah." He turned away from her, disappointment already etching away at him.

"No, I mean…" She approached him hesitantly, until finally she was standing by his side, looking up at him. "I'm not ready for that yet, I just think I want to be here… with you, as friends." Klaus turned to meet her eyes.

"Friends?" He verified.

Caroline smiled. "Yes, friends."

"Well, then, sweetheart, welcome to New Orleans." Klaus said, wearing his own wide smile.

The day that Caroline had come to him was one of the best in Klaus' long memory. His mind often drifted to that day, the happiness he had felt. It hadn't been exactly as he imagined it would be, of course. But that was day he found out that Caroline was willing to give him a chance. A chance to be the man she deserved and Klaus, he had jumped at it with a song in his heart.

But, unfortunately, he found his happiness didn't last as long as he had wanted.

"Who's that? She looks like a delicious little thing." Marcel asked from where he stood beside his sire at the bar watching the blonde vampire across the room, arms crossed as he ran his eyes up and down Caroline's body. Klaus turned to him with a dark glare.

"None of your concern." He told him with a growl, before leaving his old friend's side and going to stand next to Caroline, his new 'friend'.

She turned and looked up at him with a smile. Soon enough, Klaus found himself in deep conversation with her.

Still, he kept a wary eye out for Marcel.

Klaus watched as Caroline smiled at Marcel, laughing at something he said. Marcel, Marcel, always Marcel. He watched as she subconsciously seemed to move closer to his friend, pulling her hair over one shoulder and smiling again. Klaus scoffed, taking another long gulp from his drink. He placed the glass back on the bar top heavily.

Klaus clenched his fist in anger. After their little spat a few weeks ago when Klaus pushed her too far, she had been avoiding him and it made him even angrier to see that she had practically fallen into Marcel's arms as a result.

And it was his own fault.

"I told you I wouldn't stop trying." Klaus said as he followed close behind Caroline after another one of his attempts to woo her went wrong. He watched as she stomped away from him, her elegant nightgown slightly askew from their earlier… activities.

"And I told you I wasn't ready for all of this Klaus!" She whirled back around on him, anger and confusion in her eyes.

Klaus' eyes narrowed. "Not ready for this, or not ready to admit your feelings for me."

"I'm not ready for any kind of relationship." She shook her head, blond curls hanging loosely around her shoulders. "Not with you or anyone." Caroline sighed. "I just need to figure myself out for a bit, and, to do that, I need to be alone. I'm sorry."

This time when Caroline walked away from him, Klaus didn't attempt to stop her.

He kept his eyes on the blonde as she continued to chat away with Marcel, glaring angrily. Klaus took another swig from his drink, quickly ordering a second when he noticed it was annoyingly empty.

And then he glanced back at the pair, his eyes immediately focusing on the hand that Marcel now had on Caroline's hip.

Klaus saw red.

Before he knew what he was doing, he had blurred across the room and thrown Marcel away from Caroline, his eyes tinted with gold as he did so.

"Klaus!" Caroline gasped, looking at him in shock. "Why did you do that?" She asked, sounding furious. Klaus opened his mouth to answer but found that he had none. He himself was surprised at his actions. He may have been the impulsive type but he had never been to attack someone over a girl.

Without another look at Caroline or Marcel, Klaus let out a frustrated growl and stalked out of the bar, ignoring the eyes that followed him.

He took a deep breath of the cool night air, wanting nothing more than to clear his mind of all thoughts of Caroline when he felt her familiar presence behind him and knew that would be impossible.

"What is the matter with you?" She asked incredulously as soon as he turned to face her.

"Well, you see, love, when one tells you they are not ready for romantic relations with any man, one does not expect to find said person hanging off anoth- a man." Klaus was surprised at the betrayal he heard in his own voice, the anger, the hurt.

"Oh my god." The blonde took a step back, slack jawed as she kept her wide blue eyes on his.

"What?" Klaus hissed.

"Are you jealous because I was talking to Marcel?" She looked at him expectantly.

"No, of course not." He immediately denied. What she was suggesting was simply ridiculous. Klaus Mikaelson, the most feared creature in the entire world, did not get jealous.

"Yes, yes you are. You are so jealous." The blonde let out a surprised laugh before crossing her arms over her chest, shaking her head once.

His eyes narrowed. "Well, perhaps my sentiments have something to do with the fact that you are fraternizing with the enemy."

"God, what are we, in a chick flick?" Caroline replied disbelievingly, her hands thrown out in momentary frustration.

"Fine." The Original growled. "What does it matter to me? We're only friends, after all, why should I care?" Abruptly, Klaus blurred so he was right in front of his little friend, his face so close to hers that their noses were almost touching. "But, I promise you this, Caroline, if I see him being the one to touch you again, I will rip off his head." He told her slowly, in a low, threatening voice. He kept his eyes drilled into hers for a moment longer until finally he turned away to go.

"Klaus, no, wait!" A small, delicate hand shot out and grabbed his larger one.

"What do you want from me, Caroline? What are you even doing here?" He asked as he looked back at her.

"I… I…" She shut her mouth with a snap, unable to continue.

Disappointed, Klaus let out a long sigh, for once feeling his true age. "That's what I thought." He pulled his hand out of hers.

Caroline pulled him back again, holding his fingers tightly with her own. "Klaus, no, you don't understand. You're getting it all wrong!"

"What, pray tell, am I getting wrong exactly, sweetheart?" He asked, his usual aloof façade back on, as he stared down at her without emotion, his shields all once again rising.

"Marcel was making a move on me, but I rejected him." She admitted, causing him to freeze. Caroline took a deep breath. "I rejected him, because of you." She told him as she peered hesitantly into his eyes, taking his other hand.

"Because of me?" Klaus found himself repeating her words, dumbstruck, walls crashing as soon as they had risen.

"Yes, you." She smiled up at him. "I think I really am ready now. For all of this."

"You are?" He asked, not allowing himself to feel any of the happiness in his heart yet, knowing this could be a fluke like before.

She nodded. "I am."

And then, for the first time that night, Klaus found himself smiling. It wasn't a smirk like the one he usually wore, but a real genuine smile. Slowly, Klaus allowed his hands to travel down the length of Caroline's bare arms, admiring her soft skin before wrapping his arms around her waist and pulling her flush to him. In return Caroline placed her arms around his neck.

Klaus pressed his forehead against hers, his lips mere centimeters from hers. He went no further, however, leaving the choice up to her, giving her an out, even though it pained him more than he could imagine to do so.

"Will you wait for me?" Caroline had asked one day, out of the blue. They were sitting together in his studio as she watched him sketch. It was something that she loved to do, watch him create something beautiful instead of destroy all that was in his path.

Klaus turned to look at her, his blue eyes full of knowing at the unexpected question. She thought he would move on from her just as he did everything else. She was wrong.

He smiled at her, his eyes conveying sadness.

"Always."

For a moment, they just stood there silently in each other's arms, until finally, finally Caroline pulled his head down to hers and kissed him with all her might. Klaus smiled against her lips and only pulled her closer, immediately deepening the kiss. There was no hesitancy anymore, no awkwardness.

It just felt right. More right than anything else he had ever felt in his long life.

So, even if she did eventually change her mind, Klaus knew that he would wait for her. There was no else for him but Caroline.

Because it would always be her.

But, somehow, Klaus knew that Caroline would wait for him too.

FIN

Well, that's it you guys! I hope that made sense :) I wanted to give more backstory to this which is why I added in the flashbacks... I hope they didn't take anything away from the actual story... Okay, well, I just want to say thank you again to Epitomeofme for the wonderful request and for being patient with me ;D You are awesome, my dear!

Anyways, thanks for reading and let me know what you think!

RW