"I love how much I love you."
"I love how much you love me." I smiled, "And the fact that you totally look like Jonathan Groff."
Devin chuckled. He was gorgeous and at the moment, he was the only thing that really mattered at all to me right now. We sat in the middle of the park, his arm around my shoulders as we sat on the park bench. It was the safest I had felt in a long time.
Devin continued to laugh, "Peyton. I..."
I looked to him, whereas I had been looking away, and noticed he paused. He got a pained look on his face and tried to stand. I stood too, watching him fall to the ground! I dropped to my knees beside him, screaming at him to wake up!
Chapter 1: Welcome Back to Mystic Falls
"I have to go out." Bonnie said, standing at the door, "I know you just got back in town, but..."
"Lemme guess, Elena's in trouble again?" I asked, standing at the kitchen counter, not facing her.
"You're going to be alright here alone, right?" Bonnie asked, grabbing her keys.
"I have lived here before." I frowned, "Besides, I'm the older one. I think I'll find something to do."
Bonnie nodded unsurely, "You, uh...have you...is there anything weird going on with you?" she asked.
"Weird?" I asked.
"You know what, nevermind." Bonnie said, "I'll be back." She said leaving.
I never really liked Bonnie, even though we were cousins. She wasn't like me. Or maybe she was too much like me. It had been about seven months since Devin had died and my mom felt I should move back to Mystic Falls, to friends and family. I hadn't come back when my grandmother had died not too long ago, as a matter of fact, it was Bonnie and her family who visited us. The only reason I had agreed to come back to this little piece of Hell was because...I didn't miss high school. I was happy that I left Mystic Falls to go to college. I was nearly twenty-one and far from a saint. Anyone could tell you that, anyone in this town. I was 5'9 and pure free spirit. College had been sure for me, you would have thought I would have excelled. I did...at first. I guess I'm not being very coherent. I don't know how to describe this place or the dread I felt coming back here. Bonnie's friends weren't my friends. They annoyed me. Vicki, Elena, Matt...they were all pretty annoying. The only people I even remotely liked in this town were my friends and Tyler and Caroline. She was a bitch and I liked that about her. I liked Tyler because there was history there. It was an odd history. We weren't friends, but there was a mutual respect. I guess the free spirit in me liked the dick in him. I relished the chance to get away from this town and the people in it and I travelled a little. Life in this town was dull and boring. Life outside this town was better for me...for a gay man. I wasn't...a hoe. Far from. This is all irrelevant, I guess. I'm just trying to paint you a picture. Devin died a long time ago and he wasn't coming back. His death wasn't natural and it wasn't...that made being back here all the more scary. I wasn't blind to the supernatural world. I was no stranger to it. I also knew about the family name, the Bennett name. I also knew that Bonnie was dabbling and it was what killed my grandma. She was a healthy woman and for her to just...to leave so suddenly was supernatural.
"What are you doing here?" Damon asked behind me.
My eyes widened as I grabbed for the knife sitting not too far away from me. Before I could, something grabbed me and spun me around, holding my hands at my side.
"What...are you doing here?" Damon asked angrily.
I yelped as his grip tightened, "I live here."
Damon looked me over and then let me go, "Explain." He said.
"Right." I nodded. I reared back and punched him in the face, "What are you doing here?"
"Looking for Bonnie." Damon said.
"What do you want with Bonnie?" I asked, "And I thought I left you back in..."
Damon's eyes centered on mine, "Where's Elena?" he asked.
"What?" I asked.
"You just suddenly arrive when Elena is taken?" Damon sighed, "Not likely."
"Elena's missing?" I asked, "Hmmm..."
Damon moved closer, "If you know where she is and you don't tell me I'll rip your heart out and throw it across the room. Ask the wolf." He said.
I chuckled, "Get out." I frowned.
"Did you come for me?" Damon asked, "Is this what this is?"
"God, you think everyone wants you. Same selfish, egotistical bastard with Katherine issues." I frowned, "No wonder you're all moony over Elena."
Damon sneered, "How do you know what Katherine looks like?" he asked.
My face was blank, then a smirk crept across my face, "Bonnie told me." I said quickly.
"Bull." Damon said, studying my face.
"You can't prove it." I said.
"This isn't over." Damon said, turning to walk away.
"God, you are such a douche." I said quickly, "You can't love Elena...you have no soul."
Damon whirled to me and smirked, "Vampires have souls." He said casually.
"I wasn't talking about vampires, I was talking about you." I said coldly.
Damon's smirk left as he searched for something to focus on, then his eyes centered back on me before he turned to leave again.
"Of course he'd be welcomed in this house." I frowned, turning back to the counter. I exhaled. Another complicated friendship...story of my life.
-
Tyler Lockwood sat on his bed, staring off into space. The night before, he had killed a girl. She had stabbed him, but he had killed her and now he was...a werewolf. What's stranger is that Caroline had known. Tyler had definitely wanted to know how she knew, but she skirted the question and was gone by the time the police had finished questioning him. Mason had gone and he needed him more than ever. Something was happening to him and he needed someone who'd been through this. There was a knock on his door and he looked up to see me standing there. He blinked and rubbed his eyes.
"What in the Hell are you doing here?" Tyler asked, still watching.
"Hello to you too." I said, walking in, "The door was unlocked. Shouldn't you be at school?"
He looked away from me and was silent again.
"I heard a girl died here last night." I said.
"What are you doing?" Tyler asked, "We don't even like each other."
I nodded, "Does everyone in this town have to be such a dick?" I asked.
"You come into my house, don't knock, and start talking to me like we're friends." Tyler said angrily, "I don't have time for this."
"But you do have time to sit on this bed and, what, wallow?" I asked, "Dude, I came to talk to you."
"What do you want?" Tyler asked.
"I came to talk to you about what happened between us." I said quickly.
"That was years ago! And we made a deal that you wouldn't say anything else about it." Tyler said.
I chuckled angrily, "Right." I said, turning to leave.
"Dude, I'm sorry. I just...I really can't deal with you today." Tyler said.
"I don't really have any friends here. Not anymore." I said, "I've got enemies and I've got family, I guess. Then there's you."
"Me?" Tyler asked.
"Not in the...I just mean, you and me weren't friends but we both know that we were something to each other." I said quickly.
"You were a means to get a nut." Tyler said, "And you just won't get over it."
"Ouch. Let's get something straight. I haven't spent nights pining for you. I heard about Vicki and I just lost somebody really close to me, so I figured..."
"We'd do what we did before again because we're both vulnerable and...It's not
going to happen."
"...I figured that I could relate." I finished, "I figured that you would know what it feels like."
Tyler looked up at me, a flash of sympathy rolling over him before it dissipated.
"I thought maybe you'd grown up a little, that you wouldn't turn into your dad." I smirked, "You're kind of a monster."
Tyler looked at me, shocked and stood. It scared me a little because he was so big and the look in his eyes. I turned to leave but suddenly he was standing in the doorway. I paused and took a step back. He walked over and pushed me against the wall, just staring at me for a minute. He quickly pressed his lips against me roughly and pulled back, turning from me.
"I'm not a monster! I won't be a monster!" He said, distraught.
"I've got to go." I said, walking to the door.
"You're just going to leave? You got what you came for." Tyler said.
"You were my first ever sexual experience. I didn't pine away for you, not forever. There is so much you don't know. I didn't come here to have sex with you...I came here because I want to be your friend." I frowned.
"Why would you want to be my friend?" Tyler asked.
"Could be the house. Could be the money." I said, causing him to look at me oddly, "Could be because I want to remember and be remember as more than a gay experience."
Tyler looked at me and nodded.
"Besides, you're a horn-dog and a dick and not boyfriend material at all." I chuckled.
Tyler nodded again, "You're right." He said.
"I guess I want to be the one to change you." I said, "I haven't done any miracles, not so far. I could save the last person I wanted to and I've done bad things, but I'm hoping my soul isn't as dark as everyone is gonna realize it is." I said, walking to the door.
"Maybe after...after all this is fixed, we can hang out." Tyler said.
"See, miracles happen." I smiled, leaving, "Come on, I'll drop you off at school."
-
I looked around after dropping Tyler off. It felt weird to be dropping someone off at this school and not actually going in myself. I went to school with most of these kids and it had only been, what, two years since I had been here. Two years was forever and everything had changed. Vampires were back in this town and who knows what else. I looked around. As the bell rang and I saw Damon walking with some guy, I ducked into a classroom, ignoring there was actually someone in there. I watched Damon go by, but he stopped and looked around. I sighed as he moved on and I turned to see some guy watching me.
"Holy crap. Jeremy Gilbert?" I asked.
"Peyton Bennett?" Jeremy smiled, "I didn't know you were back."
"How long have you been standing there?" I asked.
"Long enough to see you ducking from someone." Jeremy
said, studying my actions, "Anybody I know."
"Wow, you're all grown up." I said, walking over to him and looking him over, "When did you get so grown up? You're all man-sized now. And sexy."
"What?" Jeremy asked uneasily.
"How old are you now, 16?" I asked, "Don't worry, kid, I'm not hitting on you."
I thought about it.
"Actually I am. But statutory isn't my thing." I said, patting him on the back. I tensed as I felt it. I saw it in my mind. A party. An awkward conversation, "Bonnie." I smirked.
"What?" Jeremy asked.
I shook my head, "Sorry, I'm just..."
"Are you seeing something?" Jeremy asked, "Are you a witch like Bonnie?"
I frowned, "I'm nothing like Bonnie." I said dangerously.
"Are you okay?" Jeremy asked.
"Call me when you hit eighteen." I smirked, walking to the door.
"You're seriously hitting on me?" Jeremy asked, feeling a mixture of excitement and unease.
I smirked, "Don't be uneasy, Jer. I don't bite." I said.
"How..." Jeremy asked.
"Don't think about it too hard, it'll hurt your head." I said, noticing the ring, "Nice ring."
Jeremy lifted his hand, "It's a family heirloom." He said.
I looked him in the eye, "Must protect your life, huh." I said, leaving him to think about what I just said.
-
I stood in front of a tomb, trying to figure out a way to open it. I wasn't a strong man, so manually wouldn't be possible so I stood back and lifted my arm and pulled the door open. Katherine sat the entrance, weakened. I wanted to rush to her, but I didn't want to get stuck. The spell was supposed to be just for vampires, but who knows what Lucy and Bonnie cooked up. I knew Lucy well. Not the point.
"Get me out of here!" Katherine demanded weakly.
"I can't. I can't break Bonnie's spell, as pathetic as that sounds." I frowned, "She's got some power for a newbie."
"You mean to tell me that you can't break the little witch's spell?" Katherine asked angrily.
"Hey, at least I didn't get my ass handed to me by the Salvatore brothers." I frowned, "The other one is kind of cute."
"Stay away from him!" Katherine said dangerously.
I smirked, "You're mean." I said, "Besides..."
"The one you want is Damon." Katherine said.
I was silent for a minute before I spoke, "How do I get you out? Elena's already been taken and it wasn't even twenty four hours." I explain, "Philippe has arrived."
"He can't get to her." Katherine said, "You have to help the idiots save her."
"I'm more interested in saving you, Katy." I said, "If I kill Bonnie, will that break the spell?"
"You're the witch...you tell me." Katherine said.
"Fine, I won't kill her." I smirked.
"Doesn't mean you can't have fun." Katherine smiled, "While you're trying to get me out of here."
"Don't worry, Lucy will get hers." I said, "I am going to set this town on fire, Katy."
"Good." She smirked.