TVD: The Siphoner

The night air shimmered with quiet reverence. Above the Mystic Park statue, the comet blazed across the sky—its trail a fiery arc cutting through the dark heavens. After 145 years, it had returned.

Soft candlelight flickered across the park as townsfolk gathered in solemn silence. Elena stood beside Bonnie and Caroline, holding a lit candle, her face aglow.

"Hey…" she murmured, stepping toward Matt and touching her flame to his wick.

"Thanks," Matt said, eyes meeting hers.

They shared a brief look—familiar, comfortable, but layered with the strain of something broken and not yet mended.

Elena moved on, stepping through the soft crowd, her candle reaching toward another's.

"Thank you," the voice said—low, familiar.

She turned. "Hi…"

Stefan stood before her, his candle now alight with hers.

"Hi," he replied, eyes steady.

Behind her, Matt watched in silence.

Elena stepped forward, Stefan naturally falling into step beside her as they walked away from the main gathering.

At a distance, Caroline nudged Bonnie and nodded toward them. "Oh, those two. They're so cute together."

"Caroline…" Bonnie gave her a look and tilted her head subtly toward Matt, who was within earshot.

"Don't worry about it, Bonnie," Matt said quietly, eyes fixed on the comet. "It's fine."

Bonnie hesitated. "Sorry…"

Then came Tyler's voice, casual and mocking as he leaned against a stone bench nearby. "Hey, Bonnie… where's your new boyfriend? The mysterious new guy number two?"

Bonnie rolled her eyes. "I'd like to know where he is, too. He said he'd be here in ten minutes… half an hour ago—"

"Ahh!" she yelped suddenly, as her feet left the ground.

A pair of arms had scooped her up from behind. She landed softly on someone's back, legs hooked instinctively around their sides.

"Calm down, Bonnie," Aiken said, glancing at her with a smirk.

"Aiken!" Bonnie gasped, a mix of shock and relief in her voice.

He laughed—an open, bright, almost musical laugh that echoed warmly through the park.

That laugh turned heads. Girls—sophomores, juniors, even a few college-aged visitors—looked over, struck by how effortlessly it cut through the quiet evening. It was the first time most of them had seen him smile, let alone laugh like that.

Even Caroline blinked, momentarily stunned before her irritation reasserted itself.

Only Stefan and Elena, deep in hushed conversation under a tree, didn't glance back.

"What are you all looking at?" Aiken asked, casually glaring over his shoulder. His voice dropped into a sharper tone.

The crowd snapped back to their candles and murmured conversations. A few girls flushed and turned away, whispering. Some looked disappointed. Others… intrigued.

Bonnie bent forward so her face was beside his. "Are you… embarrassed?" she teased.

Aiken scoffed. "No. What are you even saying?"

She grinned. "You get rude when you're embarrassed."

"Shut up."

Bonnie laughed. "Your ears are red."

He stiffened.

"They're so red," she added with a victorious smile.

Aiken groaned and let her down from his back, brushing his hair forward in a useless attempt to hide the color spreading across his skin.

"You're lucky I like you," he muttered.

"I know," Bonnie said brightly, looping her arm into his.

"You look very good together," Matt said, offering a genuine smile as he glanced at Bonnie and Aiken, who still stood side by side, arms looped.

"Thanks, Matt," Bonnie replied cheerfully, the warmth in her tone softening the air around them.

Matt stepped a little closer to Aiken, placing a hand on his shoulder. "And Aiken… thanks for helping with Vicky yesterday. I'm sorry for having been rude. She was hurt and I just—"

Aiken cut him off with a half-smile. "Don't worry about it, Donovan."

For a moment, Aiken looked around at the group—Matt, Bonnie, even Caroline and Tyler nearby. These guys… they weren't so bad.

"I'm Tyler Lockwood," Tyler said, stepping forward and extending a hand.

"Aiken Hill," Aiken responded, shaking it firmly.

Tyler raised a brow. "Strong grip. You an athlete or something?"

"I used to be," Aiken replied. "MMA and rock climbing. Before I moved here."

"MMA?" Bonnie echoed, turning her head to him, curious. "So if someone attacks me, I should just duck and let you handle it?"

Aiken smiled quietly at her.

But beneath that smile, his mind drifted—MMA… It hadn't been a hobby. It had been an obsession. After his father disappeared, training had become his entire life. It was his only way of getting stronger after all. Hours every day. Bloodied knuckles. Broken bones. He'd pushed his body further than anyone thought a teenager could. One day, during a brutal sparring session, a scout had even offered him a UFC debut—he would have been the youngest in history.

He'd refused.

Fighting strangers in a cage felt meaningless when there was a whole different worlds out there: magic, vampires, werewolves...

And even now, though magic had begun to fill his nights, his days were still carved around discipline, motion, sweat, and focus.

"Interesting," Tyler said, stepping back with a calculating look. "Would you be interested in joining the football team? We're short on athletes, and you might cut it."

"No, thanks," Aiken said without hesitation. "I don't like football."

Tyler blinked, caught off guard. "Really? You're not even curious?"

Aiken tilted his head slightly. "It's too... structured. I don't like playing by other people's rules."

Bonnie bit her lip, fighting a smile as she looked up at him. That's so like him...

Caroline scoffed lightly from the side. "You might not like rules, but I bet you love attention."

Aiken turned to her, unfazed. "Not really. Attention's a burden."

"Oh, so carrying girls on your back and laughing like a model in a cologne commercial wasn't for attention?" Caroline said, arms crossed.

Bonnie immediately swatted her arm. "Caroline."

Aiken's eyes narrowed, and then he smiled—cold, amused. "You think I care what you think? That's adorable."

Caroline's mouth opened, stunned silent for a moment, before she rolled her eyes and turned away.

"Ignore her," Bonnie whispered.

"Already did," Aiken muttered back.

Matt, watching the tension, chuckled lightly. "You've got a way with people, huh?"

"Depends on the people," Aiken replied.

They all stood quietly for a moment as the comet passed overhead, painting the night in burning light.

Bonnie leaned her head gently on Aiken's arm, sighing softly. "It's beautiful."

Aiken glanced at her. "Yeah," he murmured, not looking at the sky—but at her.

To be continued...

***

***

How was this chapter? Liked it?