Klaus & Caroline: The Longing Summer (Klaroline FanFic)

Chapter 4: Nailing It

Klaus entered to the bar, in which his new acquaintance Camille worked in the night shift.

"Hey, the hundred dollar guy! Long time no see." She greeted him in warm but little sarcastic tone.

The fact was that Klaus had spent few hours almost every night at this particular bar after he got back to New Orleans.

"Well, good evening to you, Camille. How do you do tonight?" Klaus asked her in sweet voice and flashed out a charming smile.

"Same old, same old. The usual one?" Camille asked and rolled her eyes with a smile. "And how many times I have to ask you to call me Cami? I'm not a grandma, you know."

"At least one more time, my dear." Klaus said as he received his single malt whiskey and nodded a for thank you. Actually, it was a little innocent game they had. He would never call her Cami and she knew that very well. It was like an old joke, between two old friends. Anyhow, they both enjoyed this little joke very much.

The bar was his save haven, sort of. In there he had the peace and quiet to think about without anyone interrupting him. Camille, as a psychology student, was gifted when it came to sensing if people wanted to talk about something, or not. Not to mention she was smart enough to follow her intuition. Klaus genuinely appreciated that.

Klaus turned to face the bar. As he let his sight to move slowly around, he fumbled with his phone.

It was a slow night, so Camille was wiping the desk. As she glanced over to Klaus, she noticed what he was doing. Camille sighed over-dramatically and said:

"Seriously, you should call her."

Klaus, who was ripped out from his thoughts into reality, gathered himself up in a heart beat, put his phone in his pocket and confronted Camille as he didn't know what she was talking about.

"And how come you suggest that I have any intensions to call someone, my dear?" Klaus smirked.

"I have seen you toying with your phone like that too many times in past few week to think there's nothing troubling you. As you being.. well... you, I thought that person has to be female." Camille paused. "Or then my gaydar is completely out of order!" She smirked back to Klaus and tapped her forehead with her fingertips.

They stared in each other eyes for a short while. Then, as a mutual resolution, they smiled to each other and said nothing. Camille knew that she should drop the subject for now and went back to her duties. Klaus remained silent and absently reeled his drink in his hand. After a while Klaus stood up and left.

"I guess I nailed it," Camille thought by herself, "He didn't even touch his drink. What a waste of good whiskey." And she poured the drink down her throat.

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Klaus moved swiftly in the streets of New Orleans. His lips were defiantly pouted and the look in his eyes was mixed with anger and frustration. He could hardly keep his cool. Klaus was little mad about Camille but mostly about himself. He could not afford to be read like an open book as he had been at the bar. Although Klaus admitted that Camille was blessed with more intuition and social intelligence than most of the human or supernatural population and propably was the only one who could "combine the dots", he had to be more careful. Anyone was a potential enemy and could not be trusted. Nobody should know his soft spots.

Klaus arrived at the lakeside, picked a bench nearby and cut it down to slivers.

"Something bothering you, brother?"

Elijah stood behind Klaus. Klaus wondered, how long he had been following him, since he appeared like from a thin air.

"Elijah. Do me a favour and mind your own business." Klaus snarled.

"As you wish, Niklaus." Elijah answered as courteous as always.

They stood like statues for a good while. The lakeside was silent, only the water rippled against the stony shore. Klaus breathed deep to cool his temper.

"Let me inform you that Hayley is doing well." Elijah said quietly, obviously expecting that this annoucement might have some effect on Klaus.

"How exquisite," Klaus said with a dark voice, "Let's hope that she continues to be that way, shall we?"

Elijah said nothing and soon after he left. Klaus stayed and stared beyond the lake. Klaus wondered how long his brother could keep up to the idea that he might transform into some glorious father figure. He grimaced out of revulsion.

Klaus had made a deal with the witches. They would take care of Hayley and keep her out of sight and danger while he would help them to be released under the control of Marcel. They had also agreed that Klaus would keep mite low profile and stay away from Hayley not to draw attention to her, which suited him more than satisfyinly. He despised the fact that he was also one to blame in this situation. Allowing himself to yield for lust had brought him here. More irritatingly not even for the girl he loved.

Klaus shrugged and loosened up a little bit. He felt like he needed a drink. A bloody one.