𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐒𝐞𝐫𝐚𝐩𝐡'𝐬 𝐋𝐞𝐠𝐚𝐜𝐲, 𝑘𝑙𝑎𝑢𝑠 𝑚𝑖𝑘𝑎𝑒𝑙𝑠𝑜𝑛

18. chaos in first class

Stefan groaned, pinching the bridge of his nose. "Please. Can we just get this flight over with?"

Aurora's grin widened. "Oh, come on, Stefan. Where's your sense of adventure?"

"It's buried under layers of common sense," Stefan muttered, shooting Klaus a glare that clearly said: you know exactly what I'm talking about.

Klaus only chuckled, taking a seat across from Aurora. "I'll admit, she's...entertaining."

Aurora perked up, ignoring Stefan's obvious irritation. "Entertaining? That's all I get? Not 'bubbly,' not 'amazing,' not even 'fearlessly human among immortals'? Entertaining?" She leaned forward, mock-offended, making Klaus laugh softly.

Stefan groaned louder this time, muttering under his breath about the limits of patience. "I'm going to regret this," he said, voice low.

Aurora shrugged, flopping into a seat and stretching her legs. "Regret is just the price of fun," she said cheerfully. "Besides, if anyone can survive a long flight with you two, it's me. That's...obviously a compliment, by the way."

Klaus raised an eyebrow. "Is that so?"

Aurora nodded vigorously. "Absolutely. I mean, let's face it: I survived getting dragged into a situation I didn't even ask for. I've been threatened, argued with, and somehow maintained my sanity...mostly." She tapped her temple with a finger. "Mostly."

Stefan sighed and leaned back, running a hand through his hair. "You're lucky she's human," he muttered. "If she weren't..." He didn't finish the thought, but the implication was clear.

Aurora tilted her head. "Lucky? Oh, I'm so lucky. Lucky to be flying across the country with Klaus, the hybrid Original who is just oozing danger, and Stefan, my slightly overprotective vampire best-friend...that's what you meant, right?"

"Yes," Stefan said bluntly, his tone tinged with exasperation.

Klaus, on the other hand, only smiled. "I'm beginning to think she's impossible to scare."

Aurora threw her hands up. "Impossible to scare? I'll have you know, I can be terrified. But I'm also...charming enough to make it a fun experience for everyone else."

"Charming?" Stefan muttered again, under his breath. "I'm...not sure that's the word I'd use."

Aurora stuck her tongue out at him. "Oh, come on, Stefan. Lighten up. You can scowl all you want, but I'm not going anywhere. I'm here to make sure Klaus doesn't do anything reckless, and also...to occasionally annoy both of you. Multitasking!"

Klaus leaned back in his seat, eyes glinting with amusement. "She's...vibrant," he murmured, as if tasting the word on his tongue.

Aurora leaned closer, whispering conspiratorially, "See? I'm winning you over already. One glance and I've got you wrapped around my finger."

Stefan groaned again, muttering something about how this is going to be a long flight.

Aurora, noticing his irritation, leaned back in her seat, smirking. "Oh, Stefan, you're adorable when you're annoyed. Did you know that? Kind of like a grumpy cat that's also a vampire. Very intimidating, but also...a little cute."

Stefan's jaw tightened. "I'm...going to ignore that."

The first hour passed in a mix of banter, occasional teasing, and Aurora's attempts to make Klaus laugh—which, to her delight, he did on more than one occasion. She even succeeded in spilling a tiny bit of coffee on the floor, earning a raised eyebrow from Klaus and a dramatic groan from Stefan.

"You could have just warned me!" Klaus said lightly, though the corners of his mouth twitched in amusement.

"I did warn you! Kind of! Not enough, obviously," Aurora said, half-apologetic, half-grinning. "I mean, c'mon. A girl's got to live a little dangerously, right?"