Young and Beautiful (Oneshot Fluff)

Summary: There's nothing left to anchor Caroline to the small town of Mystic falls and she finally left to explore 'what the world has to offer'. 500 years of solitude travelling and finding herself, she met the Klaus in the most unlikely place.

Note: This is inspired by a Klaroline video : young and beautiful. You can check out this extremely beautiful video here : https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p_0Nlzf5wLI

xxx Young and Beautiful xxx

"Caroline!!"

The slender woman in a black turtle neck turned around, her blonde hair contrast with the rest of her outfit - black top, black jeans, and her Louboutin heels were black with the red sole, completing her look altogether. She smiled at her friend, a 16 year-old in a dark gray cardigan over a cute burgundy camisole top, gray skinny jeans and black sneakers.

"You're late, AGAIN!" She gave that attitude hands-on-hips to show her frustration. That girl need to relax, although Caroline recalled she did gave the same attitude, or worse, in her younger years. She has mature quite a lot, though, that could happen to anyone when they're over 500 years old.

"Sorry, Mr. Boss Man, are you going to fire me?" Caroline said in a sing song mock tone. Aria is the daughter of the owner of "Puzzle" - the pub Caroline worked at. Puzzle, Rome is very much "The Grill" of Mystic falls -  small music scene pub with live band and good  beer.

Aria gave her a look before dragging Caroline into the changing room, forcing the vampire into a stool and retouch Caroline's make up.

"What were you doing? I thought you left school early today."
"Sorry, had a little chat with people from old town."
"That mysterious town you moved out of?"
Caroline said nothing and Aria stopped in her track. "We know each other for like a year now and you can't tell me anything?!"

1 year is like a minute on Vampire's clock Aria. Still, the conversation reminded Caroline of Mystic falls.

xxx Flashback 1: Death of a Loved One xxx

Caroline and Stefan hugged. They are best friends again after the couple experiment did not work out so well. As Caroline expected, they are too good a friend to be lovers. Now as she wrapped in Stefan comforting hug, she was dumbfounded why they even wanted to date in the first place. This is what they're good at, comforting each other. Especially since now they both are losing someone so important in their life.

Bonnie.

Caroline knows that being a vampire meant she will live out so many important people's life - her mother, Jeremy who she knew all her life, Matt her best friend since forever and now Bonnie.

60 years of friendship, the death of Bonnie Bonnet mark an end of an era. The death of a life long friend, the friend who is willing to sacrifice anything to for their friend's happiness - even giving up her own life. Several times.

Caroline has missed Elena but she never wanted to trade one friend for another. Bonnie's death hit her hard.

The ceremony they had for Bonnie this morning seems like a minute ago, even if now it's night time and she's still crying in Stefan's arms.

When the door to the Salvatore's property opened and Elena walked hand in hand with Damon, Stefan and Caroline let go of each other. Caroline glanced at Stefan. He flinched at the image before him and Caroline understand that. He already moved on, it's been years. But it's still his brother and one of his epic love, there's a scar of betrayal reopening rite now.

Caroline walked to Elena, her eyes are still teary, similar to Elena who is still devastated. She just wake up and realize her best friend is dead. The girls need each other right now. The brothers left, and give the girls sometime. They just stay up all night and talk about Bonnie.

xxx Present day xxx

"Hello~~!!"

Caroline snapped out of her thought only to hear Aria pitched thin voice and her hand moving vigorously in front of her face.

"Yes, yes, I'm here. Are you done now?"
"Go rock the stage."

Caroline smiled and check her reflection in the mirror one last time. The show must goes on.

Spot light shone on Caroline as she stood in the middle of the stage where she sing everyday. May be it's the recent memory that flashed in her head that make her go a little sentimental today. She sang "officially missing you".

It's always the same usual crowd in Puzzle, it's just a small place where people in town usually come and it doesn't really attract much newcomers. Caroline consider small places perfect to perform, she's going to live for a long time and she has no business going around for lots of people to recognize her. When she sing however, she spotted an old face in the crowd. His expression mirrored the surprise on her face. Her breathe hitched and might be knocking out of conscience if she wasn't a vampire.

Well, so much for a typical Wednesday night.

xxx Young and Beautiful xxx

Caroline ended her shift and come to find Klaus who was sipping his beer in one of the VIP sofa seat. He was wearing a black button down shirt, a few buttons came undone showing off his defined chest. When her eyes left her chest and focused on his face again, he was wearing a wolfish grinned, obviously enjoying the fact that she check him out.

"I knew you're a great dancer but I never knew you're also quite the singer, love." He bit his lips, his hand patted the seat next to him where she went to sit down.

"I have years to sharpen any skills I can. Give me a little credit."

"Let's see, 500 years exploring the world, learning to paint, built a gigantic landmark in Switzerland, fighting world war 3..."

Caroline smiled. She knew he was keeping tap on her.

 "And I lost track of you the last 50 years." Klaus narrowed his eyes, more perplexed than mad, "how do you even do that."

Caroline opened a bottled of beer on the table, "About that... I wished you have told me about the Vatican City."

At that mention, Klaus stiffened and stared at her, "you were trapped!!"

Now he wished he had killed the vampire that lost track of Caroline slower. Losing track of Caroline is one thing but the Vatican City is the nest of witches. They make how the Augustine society treatment toward vampires look like sweet home.

"Not for long. Your witchy friend, Mellisa found me. She cloaked me, and make sure whatever object belonged to me cannot be used to track me down again. No one found me and I escape and I suppose that spell disconnect all my link to all the objects you have been using to track me down too."

"I might need to pay that friend a visit. When I send word around to find you, I did mention that the smallest glimpse of what they found are supposed to report to me."

"She died Klaus. The coven found out about her betrayal."

Klaus lips still formed a hard lip, a look of disapproval, "you need better protection."

"I've been taking care of myself."

"Do you understand that your 450 years of existence almost come to an end because of your little Europe backpacking!"

Caroline bit her lips, her hand found itself resting on top of Klaus. The action calm him down almost instantly, "we need to get out of here." She did not want anyone to hear them.

They got out of the pub and were now walking down the road of a foreign city.

"So how did you find me here."

"I got a call from Elijah. He highly recommended his place and I just come to find out why."

"I met him several weeks ago..." Caroline remembered the conversation they had, "he told me about you and the baby."

Klaus stopped walking, "I know you came to me. December of 2055."

December 2055. That's when she left Mystic Falls.

xxx Flashback 2: Small Town, Small Life xxx

It's been a month after Bonnie's death. Caroline found the familiar town she grew up in stranger than ever. Only when Bonnie is gone did Caroline realized all these time she never moved out, living in a town where she can't go out anytime as she pleased because people will see she doesn't age, living in a town where majority of her time is spent at home, writing novels since it's the one job she can think of that can earn from home. She realized she did it because deep down she knew Bonnie will be gone one day and she was trying to spend every day of her life with her best friend. She made a mistake of going to college and not spending enough time with her mother and she doesn't want to repeat it again. She has an eternity of exploring the world and getting a degree, but her closed friends - the people who matter to her - they have an expired date.

So now that Bonnie's gone, there's no reason to stay here. Elena got Damon. She doesn't like that for she can never forgave how Damon took advantage of her. Stefan has already left and she doesn't dare to follow him - Stefan needed a clean slate to try to move on for a second time. She's on her own.

"I intend to be your last."

Klaus words ringed in her ear from time to time, and lately, it's getting more frequent. May be it's time she needed to find a life for herself and move on too. Starting her adventure from New Orleans. The land of promised good music, art, culture and food. And probably an epic love story.

xxx Present day xxx

"I found Hayley that day, Klaus." Caroline decided to tell Klaus everything, "by then, she's already with Elijah and the fact that the baby is not yours is already known. But I did not wait for you anyway. I realized that if I want to start my life as a vampire, I have to be on my own for a while. If I started it with you, how would I deal with my emotion when you left me? Like how I live in Mystic falls for Bonnie, I'll start living in New Orleans for you. And after I lost Bonnie, I knew how painful it was to lose someone you live for."

"I waited for you for decades already by that time. And you still think of the possibility of me leaving you?"

"You knew me when I was fiery and young. You love that feisty light in me. You know now I'm... well, old. I've grown and mature. I'm not that hot tempered challenge you chase around anymore. Would you love me the same then?"

Klaus placed both hand on Caroline's cheek. She is almost too surreal to touch. The muse of his painting for the past 500 years, the woman he found himself constantly thinking about and the love he has been waiting for.

"My intention never once swayed. I spend 4 centuries constantly tracking you down to make sure you're safe. Your confession was the one hope I cling onto believe tat one day you will return to me. When you disappeared, I frantically tried to find you and I never give up. Is that enough to believe that I will never leave you."

Caroline sucked in a deep breath. The hand that hold her face were rubbing her cheek, their body like magnet felt the pull toward each other. He doesn't have that crazy chemistry that want to take her then and there to satisfied the sexual curiosity like the one she felt in the woods - their first time. No. This time she felt almost a desperate longing, a tender love. Where they finally understand each other, and decided to settle down.

"I think you've waited long enough...centuries of traveling, I think I finally want to find a home."

Klaus lips pulled a grinned, a charming boyish grin with dimples one wouldn't have guess this happy innocent grinned also used to sported devilish smirked after each kills.

"Take me home, Klaus."

Klaus pulled Caroline close and sealed the deal with a kiss - a soft sweet kiss where their lips caress and taste each other tenderly, wanting to remember every minute of this very moment. Caroline slipped her arms around Klaus's neck and pulled him even closer, and Klaus hand dropped to hold her at the small of her back.

When they pulled back, tears were falling from Caroline's eyes and Klaus kissed them away and pulled her into a hug again. In the middle of a small quiet street of Rome, under the starry night sky.

I've loved you for 500 years, Caroline. We still have an eternity more to go.