Bite-Sized

Disclaimer: I own nothing, except these words.

"You have beautiful eyes," Elena blurts out before mentally slapping herself.

"I believe the next line is what big teeth you have," Klaus rejoins smoothly before he returns his attention to threatening Damon– as though she hasn't just outed herself with the most embarrassing and inappropriate crush in the world.

And the thing is, this isn't the first time she's said something absolutely mortifying to him. Last week, while negotiating for Rebekah's daggered corpse, she'd told him he smelled nice. He'd responded with something she didn't really process– something about wearing the blood of his enemies as a cologne? weird– because she'd been too caught up in the low rumble of his voice and the way his mouth moved when he spoke to her.

Three days ago, he'd actually caught her staring at him from across the bar, soaking him up with her hungry eyes. Thank God he'd assumed she was spying on him for more underhanded purposes when he'd confronted her about it. She'll never live it down if he finds out how she feels about him.

The worst part is, she doesn't even know when or how this crazy crush started.

She remembers what it had felt like to revile him– he'd given her nothing but the heebie jeebies when he'd bitten her last spring, even though that memory now plays front and center in all her dirty fantasies about him.

And she'd definitely still been afraid of him when he'd returned on Senior Prank Night. She thinks.

Except, if she's being honest, she'd been excited to see him, even then. The terror of actually coming face to face with him again had only ratcheted up the electricity of her desire for him, already burning bright within her last August.

It's only gotten worse since then. Every time she sees him, she risks exposing herself.

Hell, she risks exposing herself just randomly throughout the day, when the temptation to bring him up to her friends, or to doodle his name in the margins of her history notes, rises so strongly within her she has to constantly check herself lest she wreck herself. If any of her friends ever find out about this, they'll lock her up for sure.

She doesn't even want to think about what Klaus would do. Laugh at her, probably. Mock her, most definitely. Ugh. He'd probably use it against her– kinky– and it's not fair that that thought makes her whole body light up. About a thousand separate images of ways he could punish her in bed flash through her thoughts right then and there.

This, finally catches Klaus's interest. "Why has your face turned that alarming shade of scarlet?" He pushes Damon out of the way like he's a child. "Are you having an allergic reaction, sweetheart?"

Oh, it's not fair the way hearing him call her sweetheart just makes her melt.

"Umm, no," she mumbles.

Klaus grabs hold of her arm, still batting Damon off with the other, and drags her against him so he can examine her more closely. He tilts her head back with a palm against her jaw and uses his thumb to coax her mouth open so he can peer inside.

The temptation to nip at his thumb, to draw his fingers into her mouth, is nearly stronger than she can withstand.

His face is so close to hers. She could lean forward, and finally find out what that red mouth really tastes like.

"No swelling," he announces. His eyes sweep over her. "And no skin rashes. Not an allergy then. So why–"

He leans forward and takes a long deep exhalation from the base of her throat.

Elena knows the exact moment he susses her out– Klaus goes stock still, the way a leopard stalking its prey freezes in place when the antelope glances up.

Oh God Oh God Oh God

She's in soooooo much trouble.

A moment later he's moving again, pulling away from her and smiling this small, hot smile that absolutely enthralls her.

"Our little secret," he assures her, patting her hand. He nods toward Damon. Winks at her. "Until next time."