This is a Royal/hidden identity/ forced proximity drabble series I’ve concocted for the lovely @kickassfu on her birthday today! She’s working so she won’t see this until much later but when she does I hope she’s pleased with what I’ve done. And if you have not wished her a happy birthday yet please do!
*Big tones of fluff and surly natures*
Caroline felt the sheets tug as she propelled her body over the side of the castle’s window with a deep reliving sigh only to inhale the smell of the red hair dye that had caused her troubles this afternoon. Not two days back from America and she was done with them all, the rules, etiquette and worse marriage proposals. She had just graduated from Brown and felt very much independent in her own right so coming back here felt like a step backward, it was just hair.
She felt her arms burn with strain as she lugged her body down the side careful to keep away from the windows and lights lest the guards see her. Guards, she was done with the whole lot of them, following her practically into the bathroom. Why? Who knows? Her knee hit the brick exterior making her wince as she dropped the last few feet to the ground with a thump sound of her hitting the soft grass.
The Princess thought about just lying there in commiseration, why was she even out here but to blow off steam, soon someone would see her walking the grounds alone. Her eyebrows rose at the thought of someone calling her mother out here and she felt a new wind strike her as she lifted herself up and off of the ground brushing off the bruised grass from her leather jacket and tight black jeans she wasn’t allowed to wear anymore.
Caroline barely had time to garner a look around the grounds when she heard rustling over where the rose bushes seemed to hide beneath her bedroom and an arm manifested pulling her behind it. Her first impulse was to scream when a large hand set itself over her mouth muffling the sound that tried to escape her. Her eyelids opened settling on the most gorgeous tidal wave blue eyes she’d ever encountered.
Klaus heard his heart beating in his ears as another deep set of footsteps crossed the walkway mere feet from where they stood as he set this stranger against the wall in their sequestered area. He had hoped that the Princess would have been keeping most of them busy now that she was back allowing him to escape but clearly he had been wrong. Mikael had made the day a horrendous experience already plotting how the Princess’s arrival could benefit him in some way and yet all Klaus could thing about was the most gorgeous emerald eyes he’d ever seen looking back at him,
“And who are you,” his British lit whispered as if just as mesmerized as she was causing Caroline to both sigh in relief and buzz with awareness.
She blinked in misunderstanding, was he not here to kidnap her or had he truly no idea who she was, “I’m Car,” she stumbled as his leg bumped her bruised knee, “I’m Princess Caroline’s friend from America,” she answered with a lie.
He paused as if suspecting of her, Caroline was rewarded with a dimpled grin instead of an inquisition, “No name?” he probed his grin forming a devilish smirk that did things to Caroline as he pushed off of her, “I promise lovely, I’m not a serial killer.”
His hands slid off of her arms as she shook her head that she wouldn’t give one with an albeit flirty smirk of her own, “Fine,” he conceded with a lift and tilt of his chin, “You can call me Klaus.”
Klaus felt something stirring in his chest at the sight of her rumpled waves and the leather jacket that fit her as if it were well and truly made for her body, “Where is the princess?” he inquired when he too realized that they were alone.
It seemed to Klaus that she couldn’t scramble for a reply fast enough as she replied, “She couldn’t,” her voice trailing off as he took a lingering step backwards to tempt her.
“I see,” he paused in step, “Well, just as well, you and I can have our own fun,” he responded in a conspiring tone as he stepped out of the hidden area behind the roses.
Her face was priceless as she followed him out, not that he showed his delight, “Sneaking out of the castle is crazy impossible,” she retorted in a half-whispered tone that has him smirking in the dark, “Even for me.”
Klaus did a spin facing her only to realize how quickly she had caught up with him as they once again fell into each other, “Now, who said anything about sneaking?” he countered when they were steady.
Caroline followed his line of vision over to the old stable that had been converted into a garage when she was younger, “How do you know where to get the keys to a car,” she reacted in amazement.
Klaus reached for her hand pulling her in the direction of the garage, “I grew up here while the princess was away in America,” he told her easily as they treaded carefully through the courtyard.
“Are you related to one of the Dukes she’ll have to marry one day,” she questioned in monotone as they kept to the wall in order to avoid the cameras at the entrance.
He winced, “You could say that,” he replied darkly as they made their way around one of the SUVs and he let go of her hand in order to slide over to the key box.
“Where are you going,” she questioned as she hunched down in the shadows careful not to be discovered as she followed his path between the automobiles.
Klaus showed her the keys to what looked like an older model lacking an alarm that would set off warning bells in the castle, “Tell me, do you like dancing,” he queried.
“You dance,” she asked in disbelief as he quietly led her to an older model, a silver truck by the looks of it she realized as he let her into the passenger side.
“Since I was four,” he responded with a wink as he moved to shut the door behind her swaggering over to the driver side slipping inside.
“Slacker, I was three,” Caroline continued with their repartee as he strapped on his seat belt and she followed suit excited at the prospect of getting out of here.
“I was probably dancing before you,” Klaus retorted with an inquisitive grin, “How old are you?” he queried as he pulled the truck into drive and maneuvered carefully out of the garage.
“You’re not supposed to ask a girl that,” she rebuffed as she watched him pull away from the garage into the back entrance that lead them through the wooded areas surrounding the castle.
Caroline was always amazed by how the city had grown up around the woods in this area its rare beauty growing up had been unsurpassed. The last eight years in America had changed her quite a bit, puberty doing its best to fill her out as her schooling in tested her intellect. Living like a normal teenager had done much in grounding her only child complex and her literal princess one.
Klaus shook his head noticing her drifting gaze, “Maybe not the Princess, but you,” he countered pulling her attention back towards him.
“I’m twenty,” she stated with a blush she hoped he hadn’t noticed in the dim lit truck as the city began to grow around them much like she had remembered.
“So no drinking for you then,” he joked as he turned a corner watching as she nearly jumped from her seat to reply, a beautiful coloring filling her cheeks.
“Hey,” she whined as she swatted his arm drawing his eyes from the road to her glittering eyes as they passed down the street lights.
“Kidding love,” he articulated looking back at her from time to time as he switched lanes heading deeper into the city feeling the need to really impress her. Know her.
“How old are you?” Caroline inquired as she sat forward to see the city, even as a child she hadn’t been allowed to come through here unless there was a parade.
“Twenty-two, but hopefully you won’t hold it against me,” he murmured making Caroline look back at him with a soft tilt of her brow, “Unless you want to.” He said with a wink.
Caroline looked down briefly, “Eyes on the road,” she simpered as she looked back to the city buildings trying not to think of the nights she spent in the woods of Mystic Falls with boys her age or older.
He chuckled in reply, “If you insist.”