Something Stupid

9

Tyler came home to his and Caroline's  apartment right after Caroline had caught him with his lover. When he came in, he saw his girlfriend with an icy look on her face and folded arms, standing in the middle of the room.

"Explain! You have two minutes!" she said, silently and cold.

He held his hands up in defeat and started talking. He knew better than to try opposing Caroline in this situation.

"Okay, listen. About five months ago, I had some sort of emotional breakdown at the office. Klaus was making fun of me and made me work late. I was so pissed that I took it out on Hayley. She works for him as an accountant. After work I went to her, because I wanted to apologize for being so rude to her. She was so understanding, told me she knew what I meant, since Klaus is her boss too. We ended up talking some more. Nothing else happened. But, then, somehow, we started hanging out more often. And yes, sometimes we would talk after work and go to a bar for that, but it was just a friendship at first, really. At some point, she let me know that she wanted more, but I told her I had a girlfriend."

Caroline raised her eyebrows.

Tyler swallowed and continued: "And then, on Christmas day, when we got off work, the collegues suggested to go for a drink, to celebrate both the early end of work and Christmas. It was supposed to be just one drink with collegues. I thought it would only be for an hour or so, so I said yes. Everyone else went too. Including Hayley. We drank, talked, laughed and danced... and somehow things got out of hand. At some point whithin the last weeks, I must have started to fall for her. I don't know when.
From that point on, we started seeing each other. I tried to come up with a way to tell you, but I never found the time. For a while, I was also not sure what to do. I wasn't sure whether to keep you or her."

"So you kept both of us around? Are you mad? And what about her? Did she know? About me?"

"Well, yes. She was very understanding about it. Said, I should take my time. Look, Care, I know we've been together for a while now, but this is not really working. I mean, you're great, but-" he hesitated.

"But what???"

"But you can be a lot. You always need to control everything and everything always has to be perfect. I mean, it's like you're physically unable to relax! I don't remember a single time we met up with our friends here on which you didn't need everything to be exhaustingly perfect."

Caroline listened. It hurt her to hear him say that. She felt like she couldn't breath anymore. Hot tears fought their way to her cheeks.

She grabbed her beg and coat. Before leaving the apartment, she turned around to Tyler one more time.

"I will be sleeping elsewhere tonight. And when I come back tomorrow, you better be gone! You have one week to get your stuff out of the apartment. We are done!"
And with that, she left.

***

Without knowing where to go, Caroline walked up the street. When she reached the end of it, she stopped. Leaning against the house wall nearby, she tried to steady herself.

'Okay, Care, think!' she said to herself. 'Where to go now? Enzo has to work, so Bonnie is at home and has to take care of her kid while being pregnant. Elena has a shift, but it will be over in...' she looked at her watch, 'three hours?!' She felt exhausted. Maybe she could text Elena and ask whether she could finish work a little earlier.

She opened her bag and started looking for her cell phone. And then, something else caught her eye instead. A small card with a name and a number on it.

Caroline looked at it, taken aback. Suddenly, the idea of going to a bar and having a drink with Klaus Mikaelson didn't seem so bad anymore. But, she never did that. She literally just broke up with her boyfriend and she always took some time for herself after a relationship ended. It was a principle of hers, to make sure not to just go with someone for a rebound. She knew from experience how cheap and disappointed a rebound could feel after finding out they were just a rebound.

But this was just one drink. And she could really use someone to talk to.

So, she grabbed her phone and dialled the number.

Twenty minutes later, Caroline entered the bar 'Rousseau's'. There, on a stool on the bar, was Klaus Mikaelson, waiting for her.

"Hello love. Your phone call was rather unexpected, but I am very happy to see you." he said, gesturing with his hand to the seat next to him as a silent invitation.

He received a nod combined with a sad smile in return. "Yeah, tell me about it. I wasn't going to call you at first. But then, I found out that my boyfriend was cheating on me."

"So, you guys are done?" he asked, trying and failing not to sound hopeful and happy about it.

"Yes, we are." Caroline hesitated for a few seconds. "Okay, I know you don't know me that well, but be honest: do you think I'm ...a lot?"

Surprised at her question, Klaus raised an eyebrow. "I think you are a lot beautiful. Does that count?"

Caroline sighed. "That's sweet! But it's not what I meant. I meant, my now ex-boyfriend told me he didn't wanna be with me anymore because I am too much! Apparently, I am a total control freak and a sadistic perfectionist and it is just too much!" she now started crying. "And - and he said his new girl is so- understanding and-  so perfect, so much better than me. Am I really that horrible?"

Part of her knew she was putting Klaus in an uncomfortable situation, but right now she didn't care. She was hurt and upset and he was there, so she let it all out on him. And he listened attentively.

He put a hand on her arm and after thinking for a second, he finally responded to her.

"From what I've seen so far, you are a boss. You like to have things done properly. There is nothing wrong with that. I think what Tyler means is that his new girl is less refined and he finds that easier to deal with. He probably prefers a more simple girl. And because of that, he will be missing out on an amazing woman like you."

Through all her tears, his words made her smile.

Klaus returned her smile warmly.
"Let me buy you a drink. And while we drink, we can talk about horrible exes and how they don't deserve you all you want."

With the hint of a laugh, she accepted.

Talking with Klaus turned out to be a lot of fun. It wasn't until midnight when Caroline finally decided that it was now time for her to go to Elena's apartment. Klaus called a cab for both of them.

When they reached Elena's place, he got out first, in order to help Caroline. She had drunken quite a lot.

Before she went inside, he took her hand silently asking her to look at him and said: "I would have offered you to stay at my place tonight. But I knew what your answer would be, so I opted to escort you to your friend's place instead. One thing I do want to offer you, however, is a proper first date. After this evening, would you consider it?"

Caroline smiled. She looked at him, considering.
Eventually, she said: "I just broke up with Tyler. I'm hurt. And as long as I'm this hurt, I can't get into something new."

She saw the disappointment on Klaus' face and continued.

"I mean, when I get into something, I want it to be real! As in, no looking for someone because you're trying to get over someone else, no other anything! So, -", she looked at him in a somewhat insecure matter, "could you imagine waiting a bit before calling me and asking me out again? At least two weeks. That's the minumum in my rulebook."

Hearing that, the look of disappointment left his face and he started smiling a little. 

Tenderly, he gave her his response.
"That's more than alright, love. I will wait for you. And in two weeks, I promise, I will call you and take you out on a date you deserve. With all the focus just on you."

She smiled. After Tyler's words, hearing this was exactly what she needed. Still smiling, she kissed him on the cheek and turned to open Elena's door. Before entering, she remembered something and turned back to Klaus, who was about to get into the cab again.
"Wait! You don't have my phone number!" she yelled.

Smirking, he faced her again and said: "Yes, I do. After you called me earlier, I saved the nunber you called me with on my phone."

"Oh!"

They looked at each other for a few more seconds. Then, Caroline giggled a little, turned around and finally entered Elena's apartment.

"Have a good night, Caroline!" Klaus said.