TVD: The Siphoner

They lay side by side on the cool grass, the sky above a blanket of glittering stars. Leaves rustled gently overhead, the moonlight filtering through them in soft, shifting patterns. Bonnie's fingers lightly brushed Aiken's as they stared up at the heavens, the night serene, as if holding its breath for them.

"Bonnie…" Aiken started, his voice low and thoughtful.

"Yeah?" she replied softly, not taking her eyes off the stars.

"Wanna know something?"

"Yes," she said simply, her voice calm, even curious.

"I think…" he hesitated, then chuckled under his breath. "You're the best girl I've ever met so far."

Bonnie turned her head toward him slowly, her expression warming with surprise. "What?"

Aiken was smiling now—not the cold, unreadable smirk he usually wore, but something real, something tender.

"Every girl I've had a thing with… they were always so plain. So predictable. But you…" he turned to look at her directly, "you make me smile without even trying."

Bonnie felt her heart squeeze as she rolled toward him, leaning closer, then gave him a quick smooch on the lips.

"I haven't felt this happy in quite a while," Aiken murmured.

"I hope… this thing between us lasts…"

Bonnie giggled, brushing a strand of hair behind her ear. "Aiken… are you asking me to be your girlfriend?" she teased with a playful wink.

"No," Aiken said, completely straight-faced. "I'm asking you to marry me."

Her entire face turned red. "W-What?! That's—"

He tapped her lightly on the forehead with a smirk. "Relax, I'm just joking, Bonnie."

She let out a breath and shoved his arm. "Don't do that! You almost gave me a heart attack."

He laughed softly, then pulled her closer, wrapping an arm around her shoulders. With his other hand, he pointed up at a twinkling light.

"See that star?"

Bonnie looked. "Yeah…"

"That's the Lirien Star," Aiken said. "Old legend says it brings love to young couples who fall under it."

She looked at him with a grin. "Aiken, I never would've expected you were such a romantic."

"I'm not," he said. "But I have to be… for the girl I plan to marry."

Bonnie gasped and slapped his chest. "Stop it!"

"Ahh—hey, who said I was joking—"

A scream suddenly tore through the peaceful night, shattering everything.

"Somebody! Help us!"

It was Elena.

Bonnie and Aiken were on their feet in an instant, hearts racing, eyes locking just once before they turned and sprinted into the trees, the darkness ahead no longer so calm.

...

The party lights cast a dim glow through the trees as Aiken and Bonnie burst into the clearing. The music had been cut. Panic lingered in the air like smoke.

In the center of the crowd, a guy, Jeremy Gilbert, Elena's little brother, stood hunched over, holding a limp, unconscious body in his arms. Elena stood next to him, visibly shaken.

"Vicky!" Matt's voice cracked as he pushed through the circle. "What happened?! What happened?!"

Gasps spread as everyone crowded in, craning their necks to see.

"Back up! Let her breathe!" another guy, Tyler Lockwood barked, forcing people back with his arms.

Bonnie grabbed Elena's arm. "Elena, what happened?"

"We don't know!" Elena replied, panicked. "Jeremy and I found her like this! She was bit by something…"

Aiken had already dropped to one knee beside Vicky, brushing Matt aside. His hands moved with unsettling precision as he inspected the wound on her neck.

"Four fangs… thirty-six millimeters between the upper canines. Twenty-six for the lower ones…" he muttered, more to himself than anyone else.

"Get off my sister!" Matt shouted, trying to shove him away.

Aiken didn't even flinch. "Calm down, Donovan. I'm trying to help her." He pulled a clean cloth from his coat pocket and pressed it firmly on the wound. "Press here, Matt. Apply pressure. Slow and steady."

Matt hesitated, red with embarrassment, but immediately took over. His sister's life was more important than anything. "O-Okay..."

Everyone was silent now, all eyes on Aiken.

"This intercanine distance… It could have been a dog. Maybe a coyote. Possibly even a mountain lion…" he said slowly.

The crowd murmured, visibly unnerved.

But Aiken's eyes narrowed as he looked back down at the wound.

Or... a human…

The spacing was perfect. The depth. The angle. Too clean. Too deliberate.

He slowly lifted his gaze, scanning the crowd—until his eyes locked with Stefan's. A vampire...

For a moment, they stared at each other.

And then Stefan turned and walked away.

...

Red and blue lights flashed across the trees. The once-lively party had devolved into silence and dread. The ambulance doors swung shut with a heavy thunk, and the sirens howled to life.

Matt climbed into the back without a word, eyes locked on Vicky's pale, unconscious face. The vehicle sped off into the night, leaving behind a crowd of shaken teens and the flashing lights of arriving police officers.

Elena stood still, arms crossed, her face pale as she watched the ambulance disappear into the distance.

Bonnie approached, Aiken beside her, their hands lightly linked.

"Elena," Bonnie said gently, "we'll go grab a coffee. Until we hear more news..."

Elena shook her head, blinking out of her daze. "I have to take Jeremy home."

Bonnie opened her mouth to answer, but then Aiken suddenly felt her hand tense around his.

He looked down at her. "Bonnie?"

Bonnie's eyes had gone distant. Her voice was small but firm. "I know it's impossible… for me to be a sensitive or anything like that… but please… be careful."

Elena turned fully toward her now. "Bonnie? What is it?"

Bonnie swallowed, her grip on Aiken tightening again.

"I feel like..." she hesitated. The night air grew still around them, as if even the wind was listening.

"...That this is only the beginning," she finished.

...

The night had grown quieter, the chaos of earlier now replaced by a heavy stillness. Aiken walked beside Bonnie, their steps soft over the gravel path leading to her car. His mind, however, was anything but quiet.

Blood... Wolves... Moon... This is only the beginning...

Bonnie's words echoed in his head, looping again and again.

What does that even mean? I can't get it...

He shoved his hands into his jacket pockets, brow furrowed.

And Stefan... is he a vampire? Aiken thought. Could he be the one who attacked Matt's sister?

He remembered Stefan's face when he saw Vicky — the tension in his eyes, the unmistakable shock.

If it was him, why would he react like that? And if it wasn't... then there's someone else. Another vampire in town. Stefan knows something. I'm sure of it—

"—Aiken," Bonnie's voice broke into his thoughts.

He turned to her. "Yeah?"

"How did you do that?" she asked, her tone genuinely curious.

"Do what?"

"Recognize what kind of animal might've attacked her... you sounded like a professional. You seemed... experienced."

Aiken smiled, though there was a flicker of melancholy in it. "Oh, that?" He shrugged. "My father was a hunter. He taught me a lot of things."

A pause.

He didn't say it out loud, but he had to find him. Soon.

If he's still alive...

By then, they had reached her car. The soft click of the door unlocking filled the silence between them. They both hesitated, unsure of what to say next.

It struck Aiken then — for all the chemistry and heat they'd shared, they hadn't yet talked about the simple things. Hobbies. Favorite music. Dreams.

Passion had pulled them together like a tide. But the depth… the depth still needed time.

Bonnie opened the car door, looking at him with a small smile. "So… see you tomorrow?"

Aiken nodded. "Yeah. See you tomorrow."

He leaned forward and kissed her — slow and soft, a promise without words.

As she settled into the driver's seat, Bonnie gave him one last look.

"Goodnight," she said gently.

Aiken stepped back, hands in his pockets again.

"Goodnight."

The car engine purred to life, headlights sweeping across the dark road as she pulled away. Aiken stood there for a moment longer, alone under the stars.

This is only the beginning...

And somehow, deep down, he knew she was right.

To be continued...

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How was this chapter? Liked it?

Also, how are you finding Aiken and Bonnie's relationship so far?

Oh, and another thing, as you probably saw this novel is harem tagged, so Aiken will have more love interests, but it won't be a gotta catch 'hem all, he will slowly build relationships with everyone, so if you wanna give suggestions for possible love interest for Aiken, I'd be very thankfull.