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"Oh my god," Bonnie cried out happily. "I found you a Han Solo!"
Caroline scoffed as she fixed the bun hanging over her left ear. "I told you, I don't need a Han Solo," she protested. "There are plenty of people here that don't have the obvious partner walking around with them."
"But he's walking with a really cute Joker, and I think Poison Ivy should say hi," Bonnie said mischievously, her red wig shaking in her excitement.
Sighing, Caroline followed her best friend, careful not to lose her in the crowd. She wasn't thrilled to be conscripted into bodyguard service, but she and Elena worried for all five feet of Bonnie wandering the New York Comic Con by herself. Still, Caroline almost walked out when Bonnie handed her Princess Leia's white dress.
Four hours (and one irritating hairstyle) later, Caroline found herself chasing the Poison Ivy turning heads with her green leotard and sky high heels. She finally caught up once Bonnie had found her Joker.
"You look poisonously beautiful, darling," he flirted, placing a careful kiss on Bonnie's knuckles. "Green is my favorite color."
Bonnie laughed, noting his hair was actually dyed bright green and not just a wig. "You're committed, I'll give you that," she joked. "I'm Bonnie."
"Kol," he replied in kind.
As they continued to flirt, Caroline rolled her eyes in the background.
"I suppose you were dragged along, too?"
She turned her head to the Han Solo who had caught Bonnie's attention in the first place. His accent was delicious, as were his dimples, but Caroline was too annoyed with the situation to truly appreciate it. "The actual panels are fun," she answered with a shrug. "But running around in a ridiculous costume? No, thanks."
"I got lucky," he replied. "Kol only had to buy me the vest, and I was apparently good to go."
Letting her eyes rove over his outfit, she could buy him as a Henley and leather boots guy. "I was less fortunate," she said, pointing to her iconic hair. "So many bobby pins."
His eyes darkened a touch. "I'm sure it will be a relief to take them out, love," he said in a low voice.
Caroline bit her lip, surprised that the blatant come-on wasn't unappealing. It must have been the accent. "It's Caroline," she corrected, foregoing any pet names.
"Klaus," he returned, offering his hand. He nodded to the flirtatious couple still chatting. "Looks like they're getting along."
Smiling, Caroline nodded. "Yeah, Bonnie doesn't get to do stuff like this a lot," she said, more to herself. Realizing Klaus was paying more attention than she thought, she felt the need to explain. "She's a med student, so time and money tend to go to school. But when she gets to nerd out, duck."
"Kol's the opposite," Klaus said fondly. "He's always been the playful shit of the family, but comics are the one thing he takes seriously."
"Brothers," Caroline asked, curious.
"Always and forever," he mumbled. "There are a slew of us, but I drew the short stick on accompanying Kol today."
Caroline arched an eyebrow. "He's not as tiny as Bonnie, which is why I needed to come," she said.
"No," Klaus conceded. "He's just very loose with his trust fund. Without supervision, he would likely spend thousands on memorabilia."
Eyes wide, Caroline was lost for words.
Chuckling, Klaus nudged her with his shoulder. "The family would survive, love, but we don't want him crashing with us when he inevitably can't pay his rent," he said.
She was ready to go on the rant of her life about personal responsibility with finances (Elena had a bit of an issue with relying on her boyfriend's family wealth) when a photographer with a press pass intervened. "Excuse me," she called politely. "Can I get a photo for the Weekly? Han Solo and Leia would be a great addition."
"Oh, we're not together," Caroline answered.
"We are standing together, sweetheart," Klaus pointed out.
Opening her mouth to protest, Caroline realized she didn't really want to. Sighing, she stepped closer and allowed Klaus to wrap an arm around her waist. Leia had an awesome bitch face in this outfit, so she felt it necessary to pay homage.
Klaus's rakish smile fit Han a little too well for her libido, though.
"Thanks," the photographer said after taking down their names. "You guys are too cute."
"Of course," Klaus said pleasantly. He had yet to move his hand from her hip, using his other one to wave the photographer away. "See, love? That wasn't so bad."
Groaning, though hiding a smile, Caroline took a step back. "Fine, but don't get any ideas. Bonnie and I have to get to our next panel anyway."
"Where to," Klaus asked, nodding to the others. "They don't seem quite ready to separate."
"To Suicide Squad," Bonnie called out, surprising them both. They hadn't noticed Kol and Bonnie moving toward them. "Caroline, their schedule looks almost identical to ours?"
"Of course," Caroline said, echoing his earlier comment. "I knew I shouldn't have worn this stupid costume."
"You look lovely," Klaus flattered, enjoying her odd look of annoyed preening. Sensing she wanted a more meaningful compliment, he added, "You certainly have Leia's spark of defiance."
Her back straightened, clearly pleased. "Thank you for noticing," she replied before linking arms with Bonnie. "Lead the way, Ivy."
As the girls took off, Caroline might have added an extra sway to her hips. As troublesome as the costume seemed to be, she had to admit the tight, white fabric looked good on her. If Han Solo could prove he was worth her time, she might let him unpin her hair as promised.