I don't remember falling asleep at Klaus's. I don't even remember lying down. I remember that we were on the balcony. Klaus kept ahold of my hand as he stood behind me, wrapping his arms around me. We watched the sun rise on the balcony. I made a joke about feeling the need to ask 'Wherefore art thou Klaus?,' despite what I had said when we danced at the Founder's Dance.

Gosh, that seemed so long ago now.

We walked back to his room after the sun made its appearance. I guess that's when we laid down on his bed. I don't remember though. I do remember being very tired, but I was so glad I got to see the sunrise. It was incredible.

I woke up when I felt my phone vibrate in my pocket. It took me only a few seconds to remember where I was — lying on Klaus's bed, with him, on top of the covers. I had curled myself into his side, using his chest as a pillow. His arm wrapped around me securely, as if even in sleep, he needed to protect me. I smiled at that idea.

I remembered what had woken me — my phone — and I fished it out of my pocket. I had a text:

Meet me in the kitchen. –Bekah

Guess she knows I'm still here.

Best get this over with, I thought with an eye roll for Bekah.

I lifted Klaus's arm off me and laid it against his own chest. I sat up and slowly, carefully swung my legs over the edge of the bed. Just as my feet reached the floor and I moved to stand, a strong arm wrapped around my waist with an iron hold and pulled me back onto the bed. With a slight squeal, I found myself being held against his chest.

"You're not allowed to sneak away," he muttered, his voice heavy with sleep. I should have known that I could never be stealthy enough to not disturb him.

I looked up to see his slightly groggy face looking down at me. The arm that pulled me back onto the bed was still on that side of my body. He used that hand to hold himself over me as he used his free hand to push the hair out of my face. A shiver went through my entire body as his skin grazed mine. I struggled to keep my voice steady. "I was not sneaking away."

"Looks that way, love."

I held up my phone, which was still in my hand. "I've been summoned to the kitchen."

"Rebekah can wait."

"Ha! Do you really think your sister has any semblance of patience?"

He chuckled, sleepily. "Then it's about time she learned some." He grabbed my phone, hit reply, and sent a message to Rebekah.

Typing the text forced him to remove his hand from around — across — me. I tried to sit up, but before I moved too far, Klaus had sent the text. His arm went across my body again, and he placed his hand on the mattress near my waist. "You should cut her some slack, Klaus." He handed my phone back to me. I took it from him and kept it in my hand as I rested it on my stomach. "She's either doing the protective friend thing or the protective sibling thing."

"Oh, I know, love," he said softly, pressing his lips to the skin at the base of my neck. "But her timing is incredibly inconvenient."

I closed my eyes when I felt his lips continue to kiss a path across my neck to the other side before moving up. The arm that went across my body slackened enough to lie across my stomach. I opened my eyes and found him lying next to me, propped up on his side. I let out a shaky breath as his lips got closer to mine.

My phone was in my hand, which my lying on my stomach, just above where his arm lay. Therefore, we both felt it when my phone vibrated. I sighed in frustration as he pulled away. He pushed himself up until he was sitting against the headboard. I sat up, turned, and crossed my legs, facing him as I checked my phone. It was probably Bekah responding to whatever Klaus wrote.

I opened the message and laughed before turning the phone around so Klaus could read the message too:

Bugger off, Nik.

"Don't go. It won't kill Rebekah to learn some patience." I looked over at him, contemplating. A small teasing smile tugged at his lips. "Don't make me resort to begging, love."

I smirked. "I don't know. I'd kind of like to see that."

"I bet you would," he grinned.

I pocketed my phone and I kissed Klaus again — not a quick kiss — before I got out of his bed and stood.

"I'm going to go find Rebekah."

"All right." Klaus, reluctantly, stood too. "I'll accompany you."

We straightened our clothes — trying to look like we hadn't just slept in them — and I smoothed my hair before we headed down to the kitchen. Just before we went down the stairs, Klaus took my hand.

In the kitchen, Rebekah was standing behind the island, facing us as we entered. For some reason, I expected to see Rebekah with a slightly slept-in version of her updo from last night. But no, her hair was straight and down and perfect looking, as usual. I should learn to never expect anything less than perfect when it comes to how Bekah looks.

"Good morning," Rebekah said in greeting as her eyes narrowed in on our linked hands. Her gaze made me squirm, as if we were under her inspection. (We probably were…)

"Morning," I said softly.

"Rebekah," Klaus greeted her.

"Go away, Nik; I want to chat with Riley, not you."

"Always so polite, sister."

"Bekah…"

"I'll head upstairs, then." Klaus let go on my hand to put his on my shoulder; he leaned in and kissed me on my cheek before leaving the kitchen.

Rebekah waited until we heard Klaus's steps on the staircase before she spoke. "So how was last night?" She asked with wiggling eyebrows.

Oh gosh.

I dragged my hand across my face, trying to avoid looking in her eyes.

"Last night was exquisite. Klaus had a private prom all set up; we had dinner and then spent the evening dancing. It was rather incredible."

"Really?"

I quirked my eyebrow at Rebekah. "Did you know he had a private prom planned? Did you help set it up?"

She shook her head. "I had nothing to do with that; I was too busy getting ready for my own prom to help Nik set up the miniature one he held here."

"How was last night?"

"It was spectacular! I actually made it to a school dance; can you believe it? It consisted of entirely modern music and terrible dancing, but I loved it. I spent the entire evening dancing, laughing, and drinking stupid punch."

"Was the punch spiked, as it usually is in the clichéd movies about high school?"

"Of course." It felt nice to laugh with Rebekah about something so ordinary, so non-supernatural. "Can you imagine that Mystic High actually had a school dance that wasn't crashed, ruined, or ended prematurely due to the appearance of supernatural creatures? It was so… normal. Boring, almost."

"But not?"

"But not," she agreed.

I was pleasantly shocked to hear that; in the past few years, Mystic High had a terrible track record for school dances.

"I was enjoying myself so much that I didn't even have time to glare at the doppelganger."

I laughed. "And you always make time in your day to do that at least once."

She shrugged, trying to look innocent. "I try." I rolled my eyes before Rebekah continued. "Actually, I should head back over there; the prom clean-up committee won't start without me. If anyone shows up," Rebekah mumbled that last part.

"Oooo, lucky you," I teased.

"You could come help me," she hinted.

"Clean up after a dance I didn't even attend? No way. Who do you think I am, you? Or C?" I shook my head. "No thanks," I said with a sarcastic smile.

After Rebekah left, I went back upstairs to find Klaus.

I walked into Klaus's bedroom, but he wasn't there. He wasn't in the sitting room with the balcony, either. I listened at other doors along the hallway — I thought it might be rude if I were to just start opening up doors. Luckily, I found Klaus after listening at only a few doors. I heard movement of some kind behind one of the doors; it wasn't footsteps, but soft swishing sounds.

I gently opened the door and found Klaus inside, painting.

I leaned against the doorframe, watching him paint. I'm sure he heard me — he had probably heard me walking around in the hallway — but he never stopped painting.

At first, I was watching Klaus paint. He didn't just move his hand or his arm when he painted; his entire body moved, as if the inspiration behind every single brush stroke came from somewhere deep within him. But once I glanced at the canvas, I couldn't stop looking at it. The dominant colour was black, but I saw grey in places. Silver, maybe. I found it intriguing. I couldn't tear my eyes away from it.

The sound of Klaus setting his paint brush down drew my eyes away from the canvas. Or maybe it was the lack of that swishing sound that came from when the brush made contact with the canvas. Klaus was looking at me, but he didn't say anything.

I spoke first, to end the silence. "I've only ever seen the finish product; I like seeing the process and watching you create."

"It's not that exciting, love."

"I don't know about that, Klaus; I was rather intrigued."

He gestured back to his painting. "What do you think of it?"

"I like it," I replied.

When I didn't continue, he spoke. "That's all I get?"

"It's hard to describe," I explained with a shrug. "Thought it's beautiful, it makes me feel lonely."

"You're not alone, Riley."

I tore my eyes away from the canvas to find his eyes. "You know, neither are you, Klaus."

I turned back to look at the painting, finding more of the grey in the black. Klaus reached for my left hand. His action shocked me because of where his hand found my left one; it had made its way to my right wrist of its own accord.

Klaus, always perceptive, noticed my momentary shock. "Is it good or bad that you've been absent-mindedly fiddling with that new bracelet," he asked as he held my left hand in one of his hands while the fingers of his other hand traced lightly over the bracelet.

I looked down at the sparkling silver and black. "It's heavier than any of my other bracelets."

"I never considered that…"

I shook my head as I raised my eyes away from the bracelet to meet his. "No, it's not bad. It's heavier than the others, which means I can always feel it. I'm always reminded that it's there. And whenever I feel it, it makes me think of you."

"I like the sound of that." I rolled my eyes at his cocky grin.

"Thank you for my bracelet."

"I like that you're already using the possessive."

"Thank you for everything about yesterday. It was amazing. Who knew you could plan something so romantic."

"Don't tell people, love; it would ruin my reputation."

"Yes, and shock them, too. Their worlds would crumble if they ever realized you could do more than create hybrids and kill people."

"Can't have that happening, now can we." I laughed, softly. "But seriously, love, I'm not a romantic. I planned yesterday out of purely selfish reasons."

"How so?"

"I wanted to have you alone, all to myself. I planned something that I knew would make you smile, despite your opposition to the prom, for that very reason: because I knew it would make you smile. And your smile is quickly becoming one of my favourite things to see."

I ducked my head, blushing and smiling like a fool. Klaus placed his fingers beneath my chin and raised it up. "Please don't ever hide that smile.

"Yesterday also contained two added benefits, for me: hearing you laugh occasionally and getting to hold you close as we danced.

"Almost everything I do has a selfish underlying motive. I do not do these deeds because I am an honourable man, Riley." He smirked. "But I can be nice when I want to."

I smiled at him. "I've noticed."