𝐄𝐂𝐋𝐈𝐏𝐒𝐄 | KLAUS MIKAELSON

𝖳𝖶𝖤𝖭𝖳𝖸 𝖤𝖨𝖦𝖧𝖳

┏━━━━•❅•°•❈ - •°•❅•━━━━┓
𝐀𝐂𝐓 𝟐, 𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐁𝐑𝐎𝐊𝐄𝐍 𝐌𝐎𝐒𝐀𝐈𝐂
┗━━━━•❅•°•❈ - •°•❅•━━━━┛

DESPITE THE impending disaster looming in my subconscious, I stubbornly perched myself on that tree branch, because, testing fate is my favorite pastime. I mean, it's not like I'd actually hurt myself, right? It's all just a mental game.

Never in my eighteen years had I attempted the tree-sitting gig, but thanks to Nik, here I was, living out some sort of surreal fantasy.

Stretching my hand out for those elusive pink orchids, I figured I might as well snag a souvenir for when this little escapade inevitably ended. Of course, reaching them was easier said than done, so I did what any rational person would do---I climbed onto the log, balancing precariously.

"Come on, Evie, worst-case scenario, a little tumble won't kill ya," I muttered to myself, inching closer to the dangling flowers.

Just as I was about to make my move, a voice pierced through the tranquility. "What on earth are you doing up there?" Nik's voice, of course, the one to shatter the calm and send me spiraling. Literally.

Startled by his sudden appearance, I lost my balance, my grip on the branch slipping, and just as I braced for impact ---nope, not today. Nik swooped in, catching me in his arms like some sort of superhero.

I blinked open my eyes, finding myself still enveloped in Nik's arms. "Jesus!" I exclaimed, giving his chest a smack. "You nearly gave me a heart attack."

Nik let out a chuckle, his hold on me steady. "What in the world were you doing up there?"

I glanced up at the pink orchids, a pout forming on my lips. "Trying to snag those," I replied, gesturing towards the elusive blooms. "Took me forever to climb up there, and then you had to go and ruin it."

"Thanks to me. I caught you," Nik interjected, flashing his trademark dimpled grin.

I rolled my eyes, jabbing a finger into his chest. "Technically, it's your fault," I retorted. "You startled me. I was this close to grabbing that orchid before you came along. You didn't have to swoop in like some knight in shining armor."

Nik relaxed his grip on me, almost causing me to lose my balance and prompting me to instinctively cling to him. "What the heck?" I exclaimed, tightening my arms around him.

"You weren't actually going to hurt yourself, were you?" Nik countered, a hint of amusement in his voice.

"Still..." I huffed, rolling my eyes. "I've had my fair share of mishaps lately. Just got rid of a fractured hand, thank you very much. So, you're carrying me from here."

Nik's grin widened as he glanced down at me. "Demanding, aren't you?" he teased.

"Well, you are a thousand-year-old vampire," I quipped, flashing him a challenging grin. "Let's put those immortal muscles to the test and see if you can handle little ol' me."

Nik chuckled, a low rumble that sent a shiver down my spine. "Challenge accepted," he declared.

He tightened his grip around me, and we began to stroll---or rather, he began to stroll while effortlessly carrying me in his arms. The sudden proximity sent a flutter of excitement mixed with nervousness coursing through me. My stomach danced with butterflies, and I couldn't help but glance down, feeling my cheeks heat up at the mere thought of him holding me.