The night air was cool against your skin as you leaned on the balcony, staring at the moonlit streets below. You weren’t expecting company. Not here, not now. But then, you heard it. A quiet chuckle, smooth and laced with amusement.

“You always brood this much, or is tonight special?”

Damon.

You turned your head slightly, just enough to catch the glint of his piercing blue eyes. He stood in the doorway, arms crossed, a smirk playing on his lips.

“What do you want, Damon?” You rolled your eyes.

He stepped forward, slow, deliberate, until he was right beside you, hands resting on the railing.

“Maybe I’m just enjoying the view.”

His gaze flickered to you for a fraction of a second, and your heart skipped, just barely.

You scoffed. “Try again.”

Another smirk, this one softer, almost thoughtful. “Maybe I just didn’t want you to be alone.”