accidentally yours | claude de alger obelia

twinkling passion

the air inside the cave had grown heavier as the hours dragged on, and evie was growing restless. the idea of staying still and doing nothing while claude carefully tended to her broken ankle gnawed at her, making her more and more frustrated. she couldn't stand the feeling of being helpless-not when there was so much to do, especially with their survival at stake.

she had made up her mind. despite the dull ache in her ankle, she would go. if there was even the smallest chance of finding another exit, she'd take it. so, as claude was distracted, her gaze fell on the dimly lit depths of the cave. it wasn't much, but it was enough to spark a flicker of hope.

tofu, her red panda, trotted up beside her, as if sensing her resolve, his tail twitching nervously. "it's okay, tofu," she whispered, ruffling his fur. "we'll just take a quick look."

before she could move, claude's voice echoed from behind her, colder than the air around them. "what do you think you're doing?"

evie froze mid-step, caught. she turned to face him, forcing a casual shrug despite the tenseness in her shoulders. "just... trying to help. can't just sit here."

claude's eyes narrowed, his expression like stone. "you're in no condition to be moving around, evienne. stay put."

evie clenched her jaw, unwilling to back down. "i'll be fine." she hobbled a few steps forward, tofu trotting beside her. "besides, i'm not completely useless. maybe i can find something."

she felt a quiet frustration building up in her chest, but before she could argue further, she muttered a soft "thank you" under her breath, almost too quietly for him to hear. the words were difficult to get out, but the brief moment of vulnerability didn't escape her, even though she didn't know why she said it.

her gaze dropped, then she awkwardly pulled off his cloak, holding it out to him. "here," she said, her voice less steady than before. "thanks... for everything. your cloak's nice, but you should keep it."

claude's gaze flickered to the cloak in her hands, and for a moment, he didn't take it. he merely stared at her, his face unreadable. then, without a word, he took both his own cloak and hers.

his actions were deliberate. he draped his cloak back over her shoulders with the same calm precision, despite how his shirtless torso made her flustered. the sight of his muscular chest was enough to make her heart skip a beat, but she tried to keep herself composed, avoiding looking directly at him.

but then, something unexpected happened. claude slipped into her smaller cloak, the fabric strained against his broader shoulders. it was far too tight, and for a second, he looked absurd. the emperor, normally so poised and perfect, seemed out of place in the cloak that barely reached his elbows. but he didn't care, and evie couldn't help but stare at the contrast between how carefully he put on her cloak and the chaos of their surroundings.

the silence between them stretched as evie struggled to hold onto some semblance of pride, but the warmth of his gaze kept making her face flush. she quickly turned away, the awkwardness making her heart race.

"you're not supposed to be moving," he repeated, his voice now quieter but no less commanding. "sit down and rest."

evie wanted to argue, but she was already looking at the cave's depths. she wasn't about to let claude stop her now. "i just want to find a way out," she muttered, a little louder than she meant.

she finally took another step, but claude wasn't having it. his hand shot out to stop her, his grip firm as he gently guided her back to where she'd been sitting.

"evienne." his voice was colder now, a warning. "you're not going anywhere until you heal."

but evie wasn't done. she was determined. she tried to stand, but the pain in her ankle shot up her leg, causing her to sway. tofu let out a soft, worried chirp as she stumbled. "see?" she forced out through gritted teeth. "i'll be fine."