#I just think that Bonnie would stress the importance of making sure everyone’s eating right and safe/ happy

[the-bitter-ocean]

Is Bonnie's go-to comfort method "FEED THE KIDS" in ageswap?

Pretty much!! Cooking is a love language and Bonnie uses it to both comfort the people they care about as well as calm themselves down when they’re in high stress situations. I feel like Bonnie had a habit of cooking/ stress baking whenever they were upset and needed an outlet to release their feelings in a way that wouldn’t harm anyone.

I like to think that in the context of ageswap au specifically, Bonnie would have a candy that they can offer to all the kids during the loops (similar mechanic to offering the bright flower in game). I also think that they’d make sure all the kids were fed (especially loop. ) They make the effort to give loop a good meal every loop when they visit at the favor tree / give them a extra blanket + pillow from the clock tower as a compromise since Loop refuses to go back to the clock tower with Bonnie and the others until act 5/ act 6/ postgame etc.

[bonnie-and-cloud]

Hi! First off I love your post . And your bunnies are adorbale . Do you have any tips on a person thinking of getting a bunny?

I don't know when this was sent @fulltoadpicklemuffin so sorry if this is late. I've also taken my time to give you a thoughtful, thorough reply

ALSO HEADS UP THAT I'M ON MOBILE WITH NO ACCESS TO A CUT SO I'M SORRY

So I did a full year of research before getting my girls. I was living on a college campus where animals were banned except for goldfish and other small tank animals, emotional support animals, and service animals. I was in an apartment so I had plenty of space for a rabbit or two but we also had a school policy where we could have a surprise inspection at any point in time. We weren't even allowed to have friends who had pets come into our spaces even to pick us up it was so strict. It was pretty strictly enforced too

I also wasn't working because my mother promised me that so long as I focused on my studies, I wouldn't have to get a job. She paid for textbooks, groceries, my phone, medical expenses including meds, and so on. She helped me get a car and did a lot of heavy lifting. Meaning that between that, being disabled, and the school policy it didn't make sense to even sneak a bun

Well, I only needed one class for my last semester meaning I lost campus housing eligibility so I'd have to pay the campus something stupid like two grand a month to stay there. We moved to a temporary apartment and didn't say anything but like they didn't do inspections like campus did so whatever

So that's part of why I did a whole year of research. I made triple sure to know their proper diet, switching foods, and so on. I was very careful about them playing only with Approved Bunny Toys and didn't even have a cage for either of them at first as they were in an 8x8 closet with limited access to roam our room. Between that and my research, I have plenty of advice and it'll be stuff you won't necessarily hear from other people

IT DOESN'T MATTER IF YOU ADOPT FROM A BREEDER, SHOP AT A STORE, OR GET A RESCUE

At the end of the day, a bun got a home that otherwise might not have. And that's more important, to me at least, than other factors. I don't recommend getting a pet store bunno because they are horribly mistreated but you do you. I won't judge either way on that one. I got my girls directly from a reputable breeder

I do recommend different methods for different needs, ability, and whatnot. I had never owned a rabbit before so I had no idea what the baseline for bun behaviors were. I didn't know how destructive they were prone to be had they not been traumatized via abandonment or abuse or whatever. I had no idea the difference between a happy loaf versus a grumpy loaf. I didn't know a happy flop from a passive aggressive one and no amount of reading up on these things or YouTube videos was going to really show me unless I saw them with my own eyes

Not to mention, buns take a long time to get comfortable with you just in general. Bonnie and Cloud took almost two months before they were cool enough with me to cuddle me on my bed. I remember crying thinking they hated me with no idea they were bonding to me very quickly. It would have been even longer with a rescue and I might have sincerely thought I was a bad bun parent and given up on buns entirely

So, for new bun parents, I recommend getting from a reputable breeder two bun siblings of the same gender from the same litter like I did. Not only do you get a better baseline for behavior, you genuinely get to see a lot of things you wouldn't from other bonded pairs. Like these two fight over the same scrap of broccoli when there's a little pile beside them that either of them could choose from. They also play "pranks" on each other like sneaking up on each other, giving surprise boops, and running away. They make WAY more vocalizations than your average rabbit and can easily be mistaken for guinea pigs with their noises. Both in the type of vocalizations but also with how loud they can get. They act very similarly to human siblings

I say reputable breeder for obvious reasons. I contacted a breeder who was willing to promise me 4 week old buns which was a big fat no from me. There was no way they'd be completely weaned let alone emotionally ok with leaving their nest. When he said 4 weeks, I just hard blocked his number. Our breeder gave us ours at 6 or 8 weeks (I forget which) because they were ready. She even texted us saying they were ready to leave their parents earlier than she expected and gave us the option of waiting a couple more weeks to be double sure

So we could tell she knew her stuff and was reputable on top of her sending pictures of her setup and their pedigrees. She sent stuff shows care about too so it wasn't just x parent or whatever like she had genotypes back to their great grandparents which she herself had raised and had pedigrees for. We went ahead and got them early because I was so eager to meet them

My spouses and I have discussed adding two more to the mix but we're going to wait a bit. We're going to look into guinea pigs first and then if we still want two more bunnos, we'll cross that bridge when we get there. But, we'll almost definitely get from a reputable breeder again

As I've had my hip replaced, I can only handle creatures up to a certain weight. After my surgery, our roommate's cat jumped on my leg and opened my surgery wound. I won't get too graphic with it but it opened clear to my metal replacement and she wasn't even that large of a breed. Well, as far as my experience goes, the smallest buns get homes first because they're "cuter" due to their size. Holland lops go especially quickly because of how sweet and friendly they are. And I have needs

There are plenty of other bun parents who get all "well having a creature is a privilege not a right" about this and insist I shouldn't have a bun if I'm going to a breeder. These people can eat me. I have depression and meds and therapy only get you so far. Without these guys, I'd only leave my bed to use the bathroom or run errands. I know because that's where I was prior to them. I also can't have children so I need something to pour my love into or I'll hurt myself. I know that sounds weird or whatever but I shouldn't have to tell other bun owners, or anyone really, "without tiny fur children to love, cherish, protect, and provide for, I'll definitely kill myself" because like. None of their business

Not to mention, there's the question of bonding buns which takes time and a lot of effort. So even if we could get a couple rescue small buns, would they bond to the kids we have already. Rinse and repeat. Only one of us can drive so it's not like we have that much time available to bond either. It's faster, less stressful, and less time consuming for everybody involved to just adopt two babies from a reputable breeder

I say all my reasons why not to be all "breeder all the way!" because that's not where I'm coming from. I'm trying to illustrate why that might be a better option. Someone else may have to drive several hours out of the way to adopt and there is a perfectly good and cute bunno in need of a loving, happy home at a pet shop a street away. Whatever the case, so long as buns that exist get proper homes, I don't care. It's more important to me that buns aren't mistreated

ALL THAT SAID, time to move onto some quicker advice

Get a cage for each of your buns. We got those big ones that go for like 120 a piece or whatever at Petsmart. The big open trays with the wire sides and the side door. This gives them a comfy place to flop so they can nap in whatever hay you put. This will also keep them confined after they get fixed so you're not worrying about an expen or whatever else

THIS SHOULD NOT BE THEIR PRIMARY HOUSING. Now I understand if you can't free roam your buns. Not everyone has the space or living conditions. Frankly, we would put them in separate cages before bed, and release them when we woke up so they were in there 8ish hours. Mostly it was so they got some rest but also to keep them out of mischief while we slept. They turned into more of very large litter boxes over time and have only really functioned as cages post spay or when one (usually Cloud) was being destructive or bitchy and redirection and distraction weren't working so she needed a time out to calm down

Now that we've moved into half of a duplex with three whole separate rooms, an enormous front room, and so on, they're just very large litterboxes/hangout spaces. One will eventually be downstairs so they can be close to us while we do things and the other will be in our bedroom so they're shut with us at night. This is so they spend more time roaming during the day and don't get fat from being lazy babies

Now I won't Totally judge if anyone has an outdoor hutch so long as it's plenty of room and bunnos come in during extreme weather. It's not the safest but like I get it

GI stasis is going to happen. Don't freak out. Yes, it CAN kill bunnies but only if you're not doing what you should. We give ours 80% hay/wood sorrel/grass, 10ish greens/salad, 10ish pellets with a bit of wiggle room for treats. The wood sorrel (commonly called clover across the US) and grass are rare treats but they eat enough to basically replace their hay when they get it. Occasional treats are I'm eating strawberries and they get the tops or the ends of carrots when we're cooking dinner. Sometimes they get Legit pet store treats but these are rare

We see GI signs most often when they're shedding and it's because they're ingesting fur so their poop does the connected string thingy that's the first sign of GI stasis. We also have seen it every time after a move because they've been too stressed to eat enough hay so we up their pellets and greens during that time to compensate. The only other times were when we switched them from alfalfa as babies to Timothy as adults and when they were fixed

A good way to combat this is a product the Hook's Holland Lops lady recommends on her channel. They're digestive tablets made with papaya, ginger, pineapple, peppercorns, banana, and so on. It's all organic and one tablet contains a MINIMUM of 2% crude protein, 15% crude fiber, 0.5% crude fat. A tablet contains a MAXIMUM of 4% moisture, and 0.2 grams of fruit sugar. For mild cases, one tablet every day until they're in the clear is just fine but for a severe case, use one tablet per pound of bun body weight. This should be broken up from one feeding to throughout the day though so it doesn't screw up their systems

How I do it is twice a day because my babies are so small at 4ish lbs and 6ish lbs. They're actually 3.5 and 5.5 but it's easier to just say 4 and 6. I'll give Cloud 2 in the morning and 2 in the evening, and Bonnie 3 at both times. I've only had to do that after their spay. The worst their GI symptoms have ever been, they each needed one tablet twice a day. Now, if either were, say, 12 pounds. I'd split that into 3 tablets 4 times a day or 2 tablets 6 times a day

This has kept them from needing an emergency vet thus far. They've never had hard guts and their weird poops haven't ever lasted too terribly long either. Just keep an eye on how much they're drinking, how much hay they're eating, and so on

Bunnies shed WAAAAY more than you think and nobody can possibly prepare you for it. Literally, every time I go to comb or pluck or otherwise groom either of them, I end up with a pile of fur that is at LEAST as large as they are if not twice or three times as big. And I still have to groom their sides like I've only just cleared their backs

They shed so much that the poor babies were having sneezing fits. We checked their noses and no snuffles. So you'll need to vaccuum to try and keep that down. But like they will leave it on you worse than cats and they shed twice a year, roughly each spring and fall

LISTEN to your buns. Are they abnormally skittish around your new roommate? Keep an eye on that person the same way you would if your dog or cat were abnormally skittish. I promise you they aren't a good person. At the very least, they aren't very good for you and you shouldn't trust them around your buns. They don't want your new partner to pet them? Run the other way. Or at least remember it. My babies have let me know ahead of time when someone or some place is bad news

Not just this, they'll let you know when they're not happy. Whether that's their hay, their bedding, if the carpet feels weird. Listen to them. You'll be around after them but they only have you so make them as happy as you can

Bunnies are deceptively stupid. Now, I know some bun parents who are like "how dare you insult such majestic creatures" when like I ASSURE you, Karen, that Oreo there has nothing going on in his head beside "mmmm monch" when he sees your baseboards. Like they're definitely smarter when fixed because hormones aren't flooding their tiny brains but they're still super dumb and governed by instincts

That isn't to say they have absolutely nothing going on upstairs because that's a lie. They are smart enough to recognize routines and wake you up for stuff, bother you if something is upsetting them. They're about as intelligent as toddlers? If that makes any sense. Like toddlers aren't geniuses by any stretch of the imagination, they're still smart. Like they're tiny little dumbasses ruled by "am hunger so must eat" and so on. So if you act like you've got tiny toddlers with soft fur then you're pretty gold

Also, they like to watch TV. Cloud likes MLP and other animal cartoons like Looney Toons. Bonnie likes dramatic stuff with explosions and her favorite thing is YGO. So like :/ toddlers :/

Bunnies are more expensive than you think but they don't have to break the bank. Bunnies are the most expensive pet I've ever had but I've also only ever had dogs and roommates with cats. Hay can be pretty expensive, plus salad, treats, and that's just food. You also have to take into consideration litter boxes, damage costs, and so on

To cut down on hay, we buy a 75 lbs bale from Tractor Supply for about $15 that lasts quite a few months. Depending on how we use it, it can go as quickly as 3 months because they pee on it (which means mold flakes) or as long as over 6 if rationed appropriately in old pet shop hay bags. Then, we buy fresh stuff in season and take advantage of sales and coupons. Sometimes, we don't give a salad if finances are tight enough but they will always get hay and pellets. We also buy pellets in bulk for cheaper and bought a Brita pitcher for like 20 bucks or so so they get filtered water no matter how hard the water is for much cheaper than water bottles

Get a portable pen for hay like the one here. It helps contain mess a LOT. Like hay is gonna get everywhere, obviously, but if you do the bale like we do, it's super helpful and keeps the mess pretty well contained. On that note, I highly recommend a shop vac which the type of vaccuum wood shops, car repair places, and construction sites tend to use. I just linked an example so you know what you're looking for but get a hose that's at least 1.5 inches in diameter. Ours is close to 2 inches but you need the wide diameter so you can vacuum fur and hay without creating clog issues like a regular vaccuum. Capacity doesn't matter so much as hose size and ours cost us something like $60

Your buns will inevitably eat something they shouldn't. Depending on what it is and how much, your reaction should change. Your bun nosed their way into the trash and got the little chip crumbs at the bottom of a snack bag? Eh they'll be fine. If it's something that's dangerous like plastic or a poisonous food then you should contact your emergency vet. But Cloud has ABSOLUTELY snatched chips and bits of coke from a straw or two and we always have to fight her to stay away from our chips. I have a friend who has a bun who assaults her for pancakes. Like it's fine

Even after you have buns, keep researching. When it was stupid hot and I was worried, I looked up what to do to help keep them cool. When I was worried how much Bonnie was shedding, I asked my discord group. When I'm not sure about a food, I hit up Google

And I think that's it? At least that's all off the top of my head of stuff I wish I'd known going in regarding buns that I didn't see anyone else talking about. Feel free to hit me up with more specific questions!

[sage-nebula]

Lubeshipping, 1, 5, 22, 26, 40!

1.) Who is the early bird/ Who is the night owl?

Sycamore tends to wake up earlier because he has to; he has responsibilities around the lab (including pokémon to feed, some of whom need medicine first thing in the morning, et cetera) that he has to tend to early on, that he can’t just blow off and ignore. So he’s usually awake by about 7:00 in the morning, because sleeping in isn’t really an option for him anymore thanks to the career path he chose. Meyer, on the other hand, does have the luxury of sleeping in, because as an electrician / repairman he can set his own hours, pretty much, and tends not to start his day until 11:00 in the morning. So he wakes up at about nine or ten, enjoys a shower and a nice breakfast (and, if his kids are home, makes sure they’re tended to), and then gets to work.

That said? It’s much easier for Meyer to wake up early than it is for Sycamore. Even though Sycamore gets into a routine, if he had his way he would gladly sleep in every day of the week. He’s a total sleepyhead. Meyer tends to wake up in the morning totally refreshed and ready to go, and he’s been that way since he was a child. So if left to their own devices Sycamore might be more of a night owl, but things being what they are, he wins the early bird title instead.

5.) Who usually has nightmares?

Sycamore, but it really depends on what’s going on in his life.

Sycamore tends to have nightmares in two cases: When he’s sick, or when he’s stressed (and in that, he hypothesizes that nightmares might have something to do with mental inhibitions and defenses, and thinks that if he ever meets Professor Fennel from Unova, he’s going to ask her). Nightmares he has when he’s ill are unpredictable. Sometimes they’re something completely bizarre, such as a nightmare about a rotom possessing a baler and then trying to eat him and everyone he knows, and sometimes they’re a little more grounded in reality but no less frightening, such as a nightmare about Gabrielle losing control of herself (for whatever reason the nightmare decides to give) and seriously harming someone, which leads to legal consequences and, in the worst nightmares, a very bad end for Gabrielle. Stress nightmares, on the other hand, tend to relate directly to whatever it is he’s stressed about. In university, he had a lot of stress nightmares about dropping out of university and not doing anything with his life due to how hard it was for him to work up motivation to go to class / do his homework sometimes, because of boredom and depression and other reasons. During the two years when Alan is missing and out of contact, he has no few nightmares about receiving awful news that some terrible fate befell Alan and that he wouldn’t be coming home, ever. (Of course, a terrible fate did befall him in actuality, but he was able to come home from that. He wouldn’t be able to come home if Sycamore received a call saying Alan’s body had been found in a river somewhere, for instance.) He doesn’t get stress nightmares over little things, so like, the day to day stress of his job—average stress—isn’t enough to give him nightmares. But the really serious things are.

Meyer, on the other hand, doesn’t tend to get nightmares very often, but when he does they tend to stick with him for a very long time. Back when Teresa was pregnant for the first time, he had nightmares about her either miscarrying or dying in childbirth a couple times (and in those nightmares where she died, newborn Clemont always ended up dying, too). He has never forgotten them. Following the Flare crisis, the incident with Bonnie and possessed!Squishy stuck with him in the form of a nightmare wherein that whole affair ended a lot more tragically and he lost his little girl. That, too, has stuck with him.

So Sycamore gets them more often, but Meyer’s are always vividly remembered after the fact. So it’s a little bit of both.

22.) Who goes all out for Valentine’s Day?

Sycamore is very into it for the very first Valentine’s Day they celebrate together, both because he’s excited to celebrate it with Meyer, and because he wants to make sure he makes a good impression with it. He wants to be impressive. So he’s definitely the one to make sure they have a reservation at a really good restaurant, and picks out his BEST outfit (he thinks it’s his best, okay, and when he asks Alan he is told it looks good, so there), and spends a long time trying to find the perfect gift. He gets really, really into it. (Meyer is pretty into it, too, but he’s also really nervous about it. He especially stresses about his outfit, which Bonnie helps him pick out. Bonnie also refuses to let Clemont help, and when Clemont is offended by this, Bonnie just gestures to that one piece he wears and is like, “All that time traveling with Serena and you never learned anything, big bro. You can’t help Papa with this.” Clemont sulks for the rest of the evening.)

Valentine’s Day celebrations in the following years tend to be calmer, since there’s no longer any stress to impress, but Sycamore still really likes celebrating holidays once he learned to get into it after adopting Alan, and Meyer likewise enjoys the festivities. So they still get into it, but just not as overboard in following years. :)

26.) Who likes to eat healthy/ Who loves junk food?

See, the thing is …

Both Sycamore and Meyer eat relatively healthily; Meyer believes in the importance of having a good, balanced diet (and I mean, he runs around as Blaziken Mask, so you know he’s got a lot of muscle and takes care of himself) and so he does the best he can to cook food that is not only delicious, but has a lot of nutritional value as well. Sycamore, on the other hand, knows a lot of the science behind nutrition and also understands how important it is due to his education, and he tries to eat balanced foods … but this is less because he knows it is important / enjoys it, and more because he unofficially adopted a five-year-old when he himself was twenty-five, and realized, “oh, my diet is garbage, and if my diet is garbage then his diet is going to be garbage and that … is probably … bad.” 

(“You think?” Fulbert says sarcastically.)

After unofficially adopting Alan, Sycamore made a concentrated effort to actually eat like an adult and pass good eating habits onto Alan. So no more cake for breakfast, no more cereal for dinner—and on that note, he started buying actually good, nutritionally worthwhile cereal versus Lucky Charms with all of the rice bits pointedly ignored while he just ate the marshmallows. Like, I’m not saying he went full on Shredded Wheat, but he at least started going the Honey Nut Cheerios route. He made an effort.

But that said, Sycamore does still love unhealthy foods as well, and does indulge in them (and of course lets Alan do the same). It’s just that he doesn’t have quite as much of a disaster diet as he once did, having hastily taught himself to be more responsible and health conscious, and having stuck to that habit over the years.

40.) Who is the fun parent/ Who is the responsible parent?

I mean, I think they’re each a mixture of both! They’re only human, after all.

Sycamore has always been pretty fun-loving, especially when he was younger. I really tried to convey this in Genesis, wherein he teased Fulbert a lot and was generally very playful with him, and was even pretty sassy when they were seriously arguing (though that was angrier sass / sarcasm versus the playful sass he had before and after that event). Part of the reason why Sycamore chose this profession is because it’s not only interesting, but fun; it delights him to be able to study and interact with pokémon each day, he loves researching and reading and learning. He thrives on new experiences. So he definitely has a sense of adventure, a sense of playfulness and fun, and that’s part of what makes him really good with kids because he knows how to introduce them to these fun things as well, and loves seeing how excited they get over it. (Legit, he has never once regretted taking Alan in, but one of his absolute favorite things about raising Alan was getting to introduce Alan to all sorts of new things and see his reactions. He loved seeing Alan’s eyes light up, loved seeing him overcome with wonder and awe, loved seeing him get really excited about things. It’s absolutely one of Sycamore’s favorite parts of being a parent.) 

But that said, he knows how to be responsible, too, even if he had to very quickly learn how to be after taking Alan in. (Because I mean, he didn’t intend on becoming a parent on that little expedition, he just wanted to make sure the houndour pack was doing all right. He doesn’t regret his decision, and never has, but he was a twenty-five year old bachelor at the start of that expedition, and a single parent by the end of it. That’s pretty sudden, so he had to scramble things together and shape up real fast, even if Fulbert had some measure of confidence that it was only temporary.) This isn’t to say that he was completely irresponsible prior to taking Alan in—he wasn’t, because as he points out to Fulbert during their fight, he did have a steady job with full job security, and a home to call his own—but he was young, and pretty carefree. He had a lot to learn, and he had to learn it fast. (Thankfully, he has always been a fast learner. ;D) Particularly since Alan wasn’t just a kid, but was also a kid with a pretty neglectful / abusive background … yeah, there was a pretty steep and sharp learning curve.

So Sycamore did his best, and he learned, and he put real effort into learning and doing his best, and it paid off. He does a damn good job of looking after and raising that boy (as well as taking care of the pokémon at his lab / running the lab in the first place!), and though he and Alan still have tons of fun, he makes sure that there are good guidelines in place as well, that Alan eats and sleeps well, that he studies and learns, that he doesn’t wander off into the street or otherwise stumble into danger. Becoming a parent might have happened pretty suddenly, but it’s a responsibility that he takes very seriously. And I mean, he loves that boy. Even if he doesn’t really realize the extent of it until later (when he has that heart stopping “this is my son, he is my son, I will protect him with my life” moment with the lab coat), Alan won his heart over very quickly. So he definitely does his best to take care of him, and that includes being a responsible parent on top of having a lot of fun with Alan, too.

And Meyer is similar with Clemont and Bonnie! Meyer had a bit of an advantage here in that he wasn’t a single parent at first; he was married to Teresa until Bonnie was about three years old (and Clemont was six / seven), and so for the first six or seven years they had a two parent household in which to raise their children. So that already alleviated some of the burden, in the sense that they could both share in responsibilities and also share in fun times. But even after the (amicable) divorce, Meyer still does his best to keep a balance in. They have joint custody, and so part of him always wants to goof around and have fun with his kids—and he does, a lot of the time, like when he lets Bonnie ride around on his shoulders or when he throws Clemont over his shoulder in a fireman carry and spins him around—but when they’re staying with him, he also makes sure that they’re eating right, that they get to sleep on time, et cetera. He loves his kids a lot, and so he wants to make sure that they grow up healthy and strong, and sometimes that means making sure they eat their vegetables even when they complain, and not letting Clemont stay up all night working on his inventions (especially since Clemont runs the risk of electrocuting himself if he’s careless, and sleep deprivation adds to carelessness, and as an electrician himself Meyer knows this and isn’t going to let that happen to his boy). So it’s a mixture there, because that’s what being a loving parent is all about.

So yeah, the answer here is definitely both. They have a mixture of fun and responsible in them, and overall they’re just really good dads. ♥

[mon-amour-eternel]

Who D’ya Think You’re Kidding?

Title from I Won’t Say (I’m In Love) from Hercules, because it’s the ultimate Klaroline song.

AU/AH friends to lovers trope. Rated M, NSFW (I attempted smut...it’s only a few lines at the bottom).

In eleventh grade, Klaus’ crush on Caroline was the worst kept secret in the whole school. They were friends through the fact that they shared a locker (same one from freshman and sophomore year) and often were partners in class. He did lots of cute things and said lots of suggestive things.

But Caroline just didn’t feel the same about him as he felt about her.

So she confronted him about it.

“I’m too smart to be seduced by you.”

“Well, that’s what I like about you.”

She told him they weren’t going to be dating any time soon if ever, and let’s just stay friends, ‘kay? He’d agreed, and years later, junior year of college, they were still were.

So when Caroline got fed up with her building and asked to move into Klaus’ apartment, he agreed.

The only problem was that he kept doing cute things. She was falling for him, and she didn’t know what to do about it.

…:::....

The first time she noticed anything was the second day. She was unpacking her DVD and CD collection (adding to Klaus’ already impressive assortment).

Just as she was putting the Harry Potter series onto the shelf, her hair tie snapped and all of her hair fell around her shoulders. It was summer, hot as hell, and she was tired and sweaty from unpacking all day.

So she exclaimed, “really?” She made her tone as sarcastic and biting as she could.

Klaus’ head popped around the doorway that lead into the kitchen. “Something wrong?”

“My hair tie just broke and I don’t have any other ones,” she complained.

“Come on, don’t look so down. Have mine.” He pulled one off his wrist and waved it in the air.

“Why do you have one?” She asked as she snatched it. “Thanks.”

“No problem. I have one because I’m prepared for anything at this point.” Between her and his sisters, he would have to be.

“Oh...okay.” She smiled at him and they parted ways to what they were doing before, forgetting the encounter.

…:::.....

There were a few moments after that one, similarly forgotten.

Klaus cooked dinner, and rubbed her feet, and helped her with homework. Each little thing made her smile and wonder how she could repay him.

He wasn’t acting like he had in high school -- she hadn’t caught him sketching her, he wasn’t staring at her, and he didn’t stutter. He wasn’t walking the line between tolerable and stalker.

But he was acting like they were together, and she just didn’t understand why. He must’ve gotten over his crush at some point, right?

She wasn’t sure, and it scared her.

…:::...

Over a long weekend a month and a half after she moved in, they had a horror movie marathon. It was a tradition of theirs born from years of tormenting each other.

She insisted that some lights be kept on (even though the shadows would be freak her out.) It had gotten colder as September moved into October, so she also insisted on blankets. They sat close but not touching and she was determined to keep it that way.

Except, she hated jumpscares and every movie had one. She ended up practically in his lap, clutching his shirt and hiding her eyes. He wasn’t laughing at her -- he was just as scared. He’d always tensed up during horror movies, hating the feelings the music and suspense gave him. (She’d always had an inkling that he watched them with her to get her close. Why else would he watch them, when they scared him so much?)

“Is it gone?” She whispered. He never looked away, meaning she could count on him to not let her miss anything important.

“Yes,” he whispered back. She peeked over the blanket and saw it was just some hallway, bathed in green light.

They watched for a few more minutes until a loud clang onscreen led to a face on the screen, mouth open in a wide, disgusting grin and crazy eyes on full display. Caroline screamed and pulled the blanket over both their heads.

“I hate horror movies,” she groaned over the sound of someone being eaten.

“Honestly why are we even watching them,” he agreed. His arm was around her waist, making sure she didn’t fall, and their faces were relatively close. It was too dark to tell, but she thought he was staring at her.

She giggled. “The first time was because I triple dog dared you, and you couldn’t just say no.”

“You ended up punching me, remember that?” He laughed. “I had to wear a bag of frozen peas for almost the whole day.”

“Sorry,” she said, falling onto his chest tiredly. All of the jumping, screaming, and even scared-crying had exhausted her.

He relaxed, all tension leaving him. “Think we should turn this off and go to bed?”

Caroline asked shyly, “can we stay out here? I don’t want to be alone, or I’ll never get any sleep.”

He sighed but nodded. “Okay. Let me turn something else on real quick, though. What do we have that’s not scary?”

She knew exactly what they could turn on, but it was an embarrassing relic of her childhood. After a moment of indecision, she spoke. She trusted him not to make fun of her. She trusted him with a lot of things.

“...I brought Where’s Gary? from home.”

“The Spongebob movie?” She nodded sheepishly. He laughed. “Alright then.” He pulled the blanket off, and both were grateful that the screen was now some field where the main girl was crying and covered in blood. There was no monster, no face, and nothing scary except the girl’s crying face. (Caroline hated how Klaus’ eyes wandered over the girl's’ body, and she was feeling petty. Sue her.)

He stood up and stretched, and instantly she wished he would come back. The apartment was shadowy, and the blanket cold without him. He searched for a moment, then quickly changed the DVDs. The screen went from black to yellow, lighting up the room.

He moved back to the couch and asked, “how do you want to do this?” There was only the couch and the old man chair that didn’t recline.

“We can share,” she said, hoping she wasn’t going to do something she would regret. They were in sleep clothes (him a tee and boxer briefs, her in a tank and shorts, no bra in sight), and it would be way too easy to relive the horror stories she’d heard of friends sharing the bed. Or couch, in this case.

He raised an eyebrow but climbed in behind her. It was big enough to fit them both but small enough that they had to be moulded to each other like they were one. His arm went around her waist and held on tightly.

They laid there for a while, talking about the movies they’d seen. She was falling asleep pretty quickly though.

“You’re ridiculously comfortable,” she mumbled, snuggling backward. She didn’t even think about what her body was doing -- it had a mind of it’s own.

He said something back, but she was sleeping before it could register.

…:::....

Finals came and exhausted both of them.

They barely saw each other, just in passing. Caroline would come home to shower and eat, then go back to the library. Klaus was camped out at the table, and they’d only really waved to each other.

They’d gone summers without talking before, but it felt different that time. They’d been talking every day, whenever they both had free time, and now they weren’t.

She made it her job to talk to him, after that. Even if she didn’t really have time.

She refused to think about why, exactly, she had hated going so long not talking.

…:::....

The holidays came quick after that. Thanksgiving, they spent apart with their respective families. Caroline’s mom had stayed local, while only Elijah and Rebekah had stayed after the Mikaelson family moved to New Orleans.

But Christmas, they spent together. They’d gotten each other presents before, but always small ones.

That year was not the case.

Their tree had broken on the 22nd, leaving them without one, and all the big parts of the meal had spoiled.

It was shaping up to be a terrible Christmas. Caroline was on the verge on a mental breakdown, feeling the stress pile up more and more. She wanted a perfect Christmas, wanted everything to go to plan. (And maybe put up a mistletoe. But not for her and Klaus. Nope.)

Klaus made it all better, though. He told her they didn’t need to do things traditionally and paid for a nice meal of pizza.

When it came for exchanging presents, he’d gotten her a beautiful infinity bracelet and a pair of earring she’d seen his grandmother wear before she passed. (Which was a big deal considering his grandmother had been a rich, old-fashioned Norse lady who’d loved Caroline to bits.)

She’d gotten him a watch he’d been asking for, a set of Japanese Tombow Mono drawing pencils, and a Montblanc sketchbook (thankfully for sale). She’d wanted to get him things that were special, that he’d use. (And maybe she wanted him to sketch her, even though when he had in high school, she hadn’t liked it.)

He’d been so happy, he’d immediately started sketching and exaggeratedly checking the time every ten minutes.

She’d watched him do it and bugged him about what he was drawing for hours, heart swelling.

…:::....

In January, Klaus caught Caroline doing something she’d successfully hidden from him for years.

She was dancing, sliding around in knee high socks, and loudly singing ‘500 Miles’. All while trying to do the dishes.

She was only alerted to his presence when he slid up next to her and started drying. There was a strict no-shoes rule, so his sliding wasn’t the surprise. The surprise was that he was there at all. He was supposed to be out on a blind date (one that she’d helped him get ready for with a heavy heart and a lump in her throat that she was pretending weren’t there).

“Oh my god!” He quirked his lips, not bothered by her loud exclamation. She turned the music down so she could question him. “What are you doing here?”

“She wasn’t interested in me, so we left. What happened to you going out for the night?” He put a dish in the washer, then started on a new one.

She shrugged, also continuing her task. “Everyone cancelled. Bonnie is sick, Elena is fighting with Stefan and Damon again, and Matt had to work last minute. Wouldn’t have been fun going out by myself.”

“Well, there’s still time if you want to get dressed.”

She set the bowl down with a big smile on her face. “Really?” He was notorious for never going out to clubs. Tonight was her lucky night, if he was being serious.

“Really.”

“Oh my god, okay, hold on. I’ll be right down,” she shrieked and ran upstairs. As she was putting on her tightest dress, a small part of her brain told her she was going to have Klaus drooling before the night was over.

She forced it to shut up.

…:::....

When they came home that night, they were both drunk. Shoes were kicked off quickly, and the door accidentally slammed shut.

He stumbled into her just inside the doorway. “Sorry.”

She waved a hand. He laughed and moved to the kitchen. She followed after him, knowing if she didn’t drink some water, she’d hate herself in the morning.

He was leaning up against the counter when she finally got there. They really had too many freaking pieces of furniture for her to bump into.

She smiled at him and swayed her hips as she got a water bottle. She’d been teasing him all night.

She got a few gulps before he growled and moved closer. He pressed her up against the empty sink, arms on either side of her body. She set her bottle down, and rested her hands on his shoulders. “Are we doing a heart to heart?” She giggled.

He shook his head. Instead of saying anything, he leaned closer and kissed her. She gasped, and his tongue took advantage, sweeping into her mouth.

Their first kiss had been during a game of spin the bottle in ninth grade. There had been no tongue -- it had barely been a peck, and no effort on either side. Not the case for this kiss. She pulled his whole body so that it pressed right up against hers, and her fingers went to his hair. His arms wound around her waist, and he dominated the kiss.

After a long time, they broke for air. He whispered, “I love you.”

And the record in her brain scratched. She pushed him away before he could kiss her again. He licked his lips but didn’t try anything.

“We’re drunk, Klaus, we can’t….” She looked at him, feeling frantic.

“Oh. Oh, yeah. Okay.” He dragged a hand through his hair and threw a thumb over his shoulder. “I’m gonna go to bed then. We have all the time in the world to do this but I gotta -- “

“Okay, goodnight.” If she heard the end of that sentence, she was going to jump his bones.

“Night, love.”

As soon as he was gone, she downed the rest of the bottle and fled to her room.

…:::....

The next morning, it was revealed he remembered nothing except where they went and the first few rounds.

She breathed a sigh of relief and spent the whole day ignoring him. Every time he asked why, she deflected.

It went on like that for a few days before she could look him in the eye again without picturing all the filthy thoughts she had when she went to bed that night. He’d really opened her eyes to what she was doing. Living with the guy she was insanely attracted to, for one, and fantasizing about said guy (who was right next door), for two.

It made her back way off, try to get her head on straight.

Klaus took what he could get over those few days. So when Caroline finally opened back up, he pounced.

He was teasing her all morning, but she didn’t have it in her to give her usual snarky comments.

Eventually, he asked, “okay, what’s wrong? You ignored me for days and now you aren’t sassing me back. What happened?”

“It’s nothing, Klaus. I’m just tired.” And falling in love with you, she didn’t say.

She tried to walk away, but he moved swiftly and blocked her path. He held her upper arms to keep her from going anywhere, like she could get past him even if she wanted. “Caroline, something happened. Just tell me. Please.”

Caroline shook her head. She hated when he said please. He said it so rarely, it always meant he really wanted something when he did. She could never resist his please and he knew that. But if she told him, then he’d freak out, shut down, and push her away. She’d rather deal with awkwardness than not having him at all.

“Did someone do something to you?” She shrugged, not wanting to lie. He had done something to her -- he’d kissed her and made her face the feelings she wanted to ignore. “Who do I have to punch?” He demanded.

“No one! I’m just tired, okay?” She pried his fingers off and pushed past him. He let her, though she could tell he wasn’t happy with her answer.

“I’ll find out if it was one of the Salvatores or Enzo. Or Tyler!”

She turned around, pissed. “Don’t bother. It was you!” Then she locked herself away in her room and refused to answer his questions.

Hours later, she went downstairs, hungry. Klaus was in the kitchen, standing at the spot where they’d kissed. He watched her as she grabbed a granola bar and leaned on the opposite side.

They were silent for a while, thinking. Caroline hated it. She hated that it was so awkward, but what was she supposed to do? Tell Klaus that he’d kissed her and practically ruined her for any other guy? Tell Klaus that she was mostly in love with him and that every one of her thoughts had something to do with him? Hell no.

Eventually, he asked, “did I tell you I love you?” She nodded. “And I kissed you.” She nodded. “Caroline, I am so sorry. No wonder you didn’t tell me. I forced myself on you, I forced my feelings on you again, and -- “

“Wait, wait. What do you mean? You didn’t force your feelings on me. I kissed you back.”

“Because you felt forced to!” He grit his teeth, making her wince. It was one of her least favorite things about him.

She rubbed her temples. “Klaus, listen to me. I didn’t tell you because  you couldn’t remember and I didn’t want to make things awkward when you realized I kissed back.” She looked him in the eyes, overwhelmed with nerves. “I like you. Actually, I really like you. I knew you’d act all weird if you found out, which is exactly what’s happening. That’s why I didn’t say anything.”

He scowled. “You don’t have to lie, Caroline. I know you don’t like me like that. I don’t need you to spare my feelings by lying to me.”

She crossed her arms. “I’m not lying to you about anything. I do like you. I did kiss back, because I wanted to. And I ignored you for three days because I didn’t want it to get weird, not because I’m scared of you sticking your tongue down my throat or whatever.”

He stared at her. She stared back.

After a while, she broke. “So? Do you still like me back?”

He let out a breathy chuckle, like he just couldn’t believe her. Basically, their typical situation. “Yes.”

They smiled at each other, all the tension leaving the air. Caroline remarked to herself, it was literally a breath of fresh air.

She moved towards him, determined to make things as right as she could. She wrapped her arms around his middle, and sighed into his chest. His arms found their places (they were curled up together so often, she knew exactly where he would rest them now), and they stood there, content, for a while.

…:::...

Not too long after, Caroline pulled Klaus in between her bare legs and gently bit his bottom lip. She was trying to be sexy, but she wasn’t sure how she managed it after an all-nighter.

He laughed, pulling away slightly. His hair was in disarray and stuck up in all directions, but he’d never looked hotter to her. Though she was unsure about her own appearance, his was, without a doubt, one hundred percent sex god.

Not that he would get to know that. His ego didn’t need inflating after round three last night. Still, she was getting hot just looking at him. Her hand snuck down, under the blanket, not quite touching him where he wanted.

He shifted, trying to get her hand in the position he longed for. When he spoke, though, he told a different story. “Caroline, we need to sleep. We’ll miss class.”

She smiled at him, trying for coy. Her hand above the blankets rubbed from his pectoral to his shoulder blade. He shuddered. “One class each isn’t that bad. We can just get notes from someone.”

Her fingers wrapped around him, causing him to moan sexily. She didn’t have that much experience, truth be told, but it was still the hottest sound in the whole world. “Maybe you’re right….”

An hour later, they weren’t quite asleep yet. They were curled under the blankets, underwear on to make sure they got their required rest. (Caroline insisted. If she had access, she would do something about it, and Klaus was the same way. If they didn’t, they’d never sleep again.)

“Mm, you’re warm,” she told him, snuggling into his chest. Her toes were pressed between his calves and her fingers were tucked under her head and chin. He was wrapped around her like an octopus, fingers carding through her hair.

“Thank you,” he whispered back, content but alert. His smile turned wicked. “You’re very warm, too. And wet.” He pulled her closer, to whisper in her ear, “and inviting, too.” His last words oozed with a double entendre.

She squealed, pushing him away. She was exhausted, though, so he didn’t go very far. They both ended up laughing quietly.

They were quiet for a while, just laying together and soaking up the closeness. Rebekah had caught wind of their confessions, and was around 24/7 trying to get dirt on them.

She blinked and yawned, curling up a little more.

He grinned. “Are you part cat?”

“Shuddup,” she said back, lightly swatting at his arm. Her aim was wonky with her almost-sleeping state, but he didn’t comment.

Instead, he said to her sleeping form, “I’m going to marry you someday, you half-cat.”

(Spoiler alert: he did.)