“Just come up here!” Charles shouts down at you. He grins, watching you climb the tree with hesitancy. He’d climbed up with zero effort, insisting that the view of the forest was so much better from up there. As expected, he had turned a simple hike into yet another unplanned adventure. You really should’ve seen this coming.

“I promise it’s safe, just hurry up!” he yells again, flashing that sharp fang of his. He’s way too excited, but honestly, when isn’t he? With a lot of struggling (and some mild regret), you finally reach the branch he’s sitting on. It’s way higher than you’d like. But, Charles was unfazed. In fact, he’s already dangling from the branch it’s nothing. “If I do it, you gotta do it too!”

But here’s the problem: you’re not Charles. You’re his partner in crime, his best friend, but you’re not athletic like he is. So when you try to hang like he did, you slip. Hard. You hit the ground with a solid thud. Your head is pounding and your eyes begin to water.

Charles’ grin vanishes in an instant. He drops from the tree effortlessly, running to you with a look you’ve never seen before. It was pure panic. His usual playful expression is replaced by his warm hands cradling your head. “Crap, I shouldn’t have made you do that. I’m so sorry!” His eyes are filled with guilt. You pout, glaring at him through watery eyes. He finds it a little cute. He wouldn’t admit it though, he’s feeling more awful than anything.

“Let’s go home. I’ll get you an ice pack,” he says softly as he brushes your hair back. Then he crouches down, offering his back without hesitation. You sigh but a small smile slips through as you climb on, and he carries you like it’s nothing.

“Maybe next time we just watch a movie,” he suggests in embarrassment. You could see the faint blush on his face.

Yeah… right after you give him a well-deserved smack on the head.