𝐇𝐄 𝐋𝐈𝐍𝐆𝐄𝐑𝐒 𝐈𝐍 𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐒𝐇𝐀𝐃𝐎𝐖𝐒, watches her carefully from behind a bush. she looks so familiar, so much like the demons from his past, that he wonders what it would be like if it were truly her -- how it would feel to reunite with the woman he had so desperately tried to impress during his human life. perhaps he would try to kill her, to get revenge on the life she had stolen from him, or maybe he would pretend to care for her once more, to break her heart the way that she did his. but once he focuses -- truly FOCUSES -- he can hear a heartbeat, can hear the blood rushing through her veins, can hear the quiet jingle of her laughter from across the field. she’s suddenly far more curious to him, perhaps even a bit more dangerous. it’s then that others approach the bonfire : her friends bonnie and caroline, the rest of the kids her age. maybe if he waits long enough, he can catch her alone, can thank her for the invitation ( the one that she never should have given him ).
stefan decides to approach, to speak to the girl that’s been the sole recipient of his affections for these past couple weeks. he moves quickly, far quicker than any human would be able to detect. then, he taps her on the shoulder. ❝ thank you. for inviting me to the bonfire. i probably wouldn’t have heard about it if it weren’t for you. ❞ his nostrils flare for just a moment, deeply inhales her scent, her blood calling to him, practically begging for him to rip her throat out. ❝ you’ve been very welcoming. well, everyone has. ❞