𝐃𝐀𝐑𝐋𝐈𝐍𝐆 ↠ 𝐊𝐎𝐋 𝐌𝐈𝐊𝐀𝐄𝐋𝐒𝐎𝐍 [1] ✔️

The humid air of Tennessee hung heavy, thick and stifling. Eleanor Forbes, hair already clinging to her neck, let out a frustrated sigh, kicking idly at a loose rock. Another one, two, three. Each small impact seemed to echo the endless waiting, the oppressive boredom of being stuck in the middle of nowhere while Klaus, somewhere out there, hunted down a lead.

“Love, what’re you doing? I think I told you to stay in the car.” Klaus’s voice, a low rumble, cut through the quiet. He emerged from the dense trees, a casual saunter to his step despite the heat. Eleanor merely shrugged, pushing open the passenger door of the SUV and sliding inside, the leather already unpleasantly warm against her skin.

“It was getting hot and you were taking longer than you said you would,” she said, faking a pout. Klaus chuckled, shaking his head as he got in beside her.

“Well love, finding leads doesn’t take five minutes.” Before she could retort, the back door swung open with a groan, and Stefan Salvatore practically plopped into the seat, slamming it shut behind him. His face was a mask of weary resignation, eyes fixed on the outside world, refusing to meet theirs. Eleanor’s frown deepened. This wasn’t the Stefan she knew, the one who joked and laughed. This was a shadow, and she hated Klaus for it.

“No need to be so grumpy, Stef.” She mumbled, turning up the radio, letting the music fill the silence, a fragile shield against the tension that always seemed to hum around Klaus.