Chapter 1: Sunset
"Please you and Tyler are too cute together" I told her as we stepped into the Grill I smiled at spotting Matt waiting on a table. He looked up at our entrance and his face hardened before walking away. I groaned as he disappeared into the back "don't worry Soph, you'll find the right guy soon." She said softly and I nodded. How ironic that it was that I finally find the guy I want after a hundred and seventy years and he doesn't want me. She giggled at me as her phone rang "Hey…what? Is she okay?" Caroline said into the phone and I furrowed my eyebrows checking my own phone. No messages. Must not be Elena.
"Yeah I'll be right there" Caroline said hanging up and I pouted. We seriously needed girl time. "I'm sorry, Tyler's mom is in the hospital" she said. "Go" I told her, "you sure?" She questioned and I nodded. "Go" I told her again. She hugged me before leaving. I sighed going to turn to leave the Grill only to pause running straight into a hard chest. "Oh sorry" I apologized looking up and pausing at the blue/green eyes that watched me shock filled them before becoming composed again and he smiled at me, "I know you" I said softly watching his eyes with confusion. I knew this man. He looked slightly taken aback but chuckled, "I'm sorry, that was uh rude" I apologized. But he shook his head slightly to disagree as he smiled at me, his eyes completely captivating "it's all right love, does an angel like you have a name?" He questioned and I raised an eyebrow at the smooth man. His dirty blonde hair in short dark curls and he had stubble on his chin and upper lip.
His dark red button down shirt and black velvet jacket clung to his broad shoulders and muscled chest. "Depends, what's a guy like you going to do with it?" I questioned him playfully crossing my arms over my chest protectively. A soft chuckle came from his lips, the corner of his lips turning up slightly as he watched me. "Well I was intending to buy you lunch but if I don't know your name the conversation could get rather boring very quickly" He told me, his chin down and his eyes playfully watching mine and I felt my knees going weak slightly.
"And why should I believe you?" I questioned him, "because I'm different" he said with a knowing smirk and I felt butterflies filling my stomach and a mischevious smirk crossed my face. "Oh really?" I questioned and he nodded, "okay. What color are my eyes?" I questioned closing them and turning around quickly so he couldn't cheat and look. I chewed on my lip waiting and I heard him chuckle. "At first glance they're blue" he said and I made to turn around at him answering correctly but paused as I heard him continue. "But if you look more closely it's electric blue, but around the iris they're sky blue and when you look into the sun they're pure white that makes goddesses jealous. That's my favorite" I heard his accented husky voice whisper.
I looked at him over my shoulder completely taken aback by his answer as I slowly turned around. He smiled at me knowingly. "How'd I do?" He questioned his tone deep and serious his eyebrows raising up slightly playfully. "I would have settled for blue" I said softly, he reached his hand up stroking a chestnut brown lock of hair behind my ear and I shivered at feeling his finger tips caress the soft cartilage. "That's your mistake love, you don't deserve to settle, you deserve the best." He whispered and I found myself suddenly focused on his dark red lips and my heavy breathing.
"Let's make one thing clear" I told him regaining myself when his fingers left my ear. "I'm too smart to be seduced by you" I told him and he smiled. "Well that's why I like you" he smirked back. "You just met me" I challenged him and he smiled tilting his head to the side before regaining some composure and he shrugged. "I'm Nik by the way Nik Mikaelson" he introduced himself holding his hand out, I smiled and took it a strong sense of familiarity hitting me. "Sophie, Sophie Salvatore" I told him in the same fashion he told me his name taking his offered hand. He chuckled noticing it. "Well how about some lunch Sophie, Sophie Salvatore?" He questioned gesturing to some tables with a smile on his face. I laughed and chewed on my lip thinking it over.
I was hungry, and Caroline did ditch me….
Why not?
"Why not?" I questioned and he chuckled gesturing for me to go first as he put his hand on my lower back leading me over to a table. I was surprised when he pulled my chair out for me and gestured for me to sit with utmost elegance. I smiled and sat in the seat and he pushed the chair into the table before taking the seat opposite me. "A gentlemen, and here I thought chilvary was dead" I told him and he chuckled as if it was a joke. "When you let your guard down love that's when life starts surprising you" he told me with a wink and I smiled at that as Jeremy came over.
"Hey Sophie, I thought you were having lunch with Caroline today?" Jeremy questioned, "I was but Tyler's mom is in the hospital so she went to visit her. You know Caroline being Caroline" I told him before I looked around. Matt was serving the tables around us except for this one. I looked back up at Jeremy, "Did Matt make you switch sections?" I questioned him and Jeremy shifted on his feet. "No, he's uh getting off soon….so…" he started only for matt too great a table near us and I lifted an eyebrow at him. "Well let's start with some appetizers and drinks!" He said obviously trying to change the subject. I growled, "a coke please, thanks Jer" I told him as Nik ordered the same and some chips and salsa before Jeremy left to get our food and drinks. "A friend?" Nik questioned me and I nodded. "He's the younger brother of my brother's girlfriend" I told him with a smile "And Matt?" He questioned and I played with my forth resting one elbow on the back of my chair. "Now that is more complicated" I told him, "and why do I have a feeling that's an interesting story?" He questioned me and I laughed flipping open the menu and glancing it over to occupy me.
"Well not that interesting" I told him and he gave me a doubtful look "now I found that hard to believe" he told me and I smiled at him. "Fine, Matt and I recently broke up, so instead of it being awkward by waiting on us it's gonna be awkward in him trying to ignore us." I muttered, "so what happened? He got jealous of the other guys hitting on you?" Nik teased me and I laughed shaking my head. "And what makes you think that was the cause?" I questioned him playfully back and he gave me a yeah come on look. I laughed sitting back in my chair. "No it wasn't like that. He uh couldn't deal with some aspects of my life, he wanted to change it and he finally realized that he can't. So he decided to find a normal girl to take to Prom instead." I told him as Jeremy brought back drinks as well as some appetizers for us.
"Thanks Jeremy" I told him and he smiled, "no problem, just signal me over when you're ready to order" he said and I nodded. "So enough talking about me tell me about you, are you new to town? Moving or just passing through?" I questioned him, "passing through. Picking up a few things then I'll be on my way" he told me and I felt a cold shiver run down my spine at his words as I nodded.
"Sophie" I heard Alaric greet, I looked up at him and smiled. "Hi Alaric, I thought you and Jenna were having lunch?" I questioned him, "we were but she canceled." He said and I frowned. "Sorry to hear that, anything I can do?" I questioned him and he shook his head. "Who's your friend?" Alaric questioned looking at Nik. "Nik Mikaelson, Nik this is my history teacher Alaric Saltzman and he's currently dating my brother's girlfriend's Aunt." I told him. Nik nodded shaking Alaric's hand. Alaric raised an eyebrow at Nik as he shook his head before shaking something off.
I raised an eyebrow at Alaric's behavior. "Well I'll leave you two to your lunch, I think Damon needs a drinking buddy" he said before approaching Damon at the bar. I looked over and rolled my eyes at seeing he was already half way through a liquor bottle. "Another complicated relationship?" Nik questioned me, "unfortunately" I told him before shaking my head and looking back at him with a smile. But Nik raised an eyebrow curiousity burning in my eyes. I sighed, "Damon, the drunk at the bar before it's even noon is my older brother and no he's not the one dating Elena, my twin brother Stefan is. But he wants to. It's just really complicated and sickening to see those two fight over some girl." I told him putting my elbows on the table and leaning onto them adjusting myself in my seat. I didn't want to talk about Damon. He was pissing me off lately.
"You didn't have to tell me if it makes you feel uncomfortable" he said moving himself to be in the similar position, I smiled softly. "It's fine, but we're doing an awful lot of talking about me. Tell me about you" I told him with a smile and he chuckled back. "Well I have siblings as well though I'm a middle child I'm afraid. I have one sister and five brothers. My eldest brother died before my parents second child was born so I never knew him and my youngest brother died when he was only a boy" he said his tone going on sad. I frowned my hand going to his forearm and I squeezed it softly needing to comfort him. "You didn't have to tell me that" I told him softly.
He looked up at me and smiled softly, sadness marring his features before he shook it off. "It's all right love, it was a long time ago" he told me and I nodded pulling my hand back. "So are you close to your siblings?" I questioned him curious, "to a few but we've drifted apart as the years went by" he told me and I nodded. "I'm sorry" I said softly, I couldn't imagine that happening to Stefan and I. I could see that with Damon and me but not with Stefan. There wasn't a day that I didn't see or talk to him. "It's all right I've grown quite used to being alone" he said, "but that doesn't make it all right" I told him and he looked back up at me quickly and I felt like I said something wrong.
"Sorry I was born without a filter between my brain and mouth" I told him with a small chuckle only for Jeremy to interrupt us with our food. "So are you home for the spring break or…?" He questioned and I shook my head with a chuckle. "No I'm only a junior in high school" I told him and he burst into laughter pressing the back of his hand into his forehead as he held his fork across his palm. "What's so funny?" I demanded smacking his arm as my eyes narrowed. Did he know? "Nothing just you look like you're eighteen" he told me, "well my birthday's in a couple months" I told him with a wink and he smiled, "Good information to know" he winked back at me playfully.
I laughed with him as he looked up at me again, "So you said you were traveling, where are you headed?" I questioned him curious now and he shrugged his shoulders. "Wherever the wind takes me" he told me with a chuckle and I smiled enviously at him for having that luxury Ever since Stefan and I came back to Mystic Falls and found Elena Stefan was refusing to leave. We traveled everywhere together, I didn't want to leave town without him. Plain and simple. He noticed it tilting his head to the side before asking. "Have you not traveled?" He questioned curious and I sighed. "Some but only in the U.S. Military family so we moved around a lot, and I've seen Mexico but that's about it" I told him softly giving him the cover story and Stefan and I had worked out and he made a pained sympathetic face. "I'll take you if you like" he said surprising me. I looked up at him quickly and shock crossed his own face at his words he must know but the look on his face said that he mean to say them. "Uh I mean I'd be happy to tell you about it. The world is far too beautiful for you to stay cooped up in this one horse town." He said recovering from his first statement and I felt disappointment fill me at his correction but I couldn't agree more with him. I nodded, "where have you been?" I questioned curiously and he shrugged. "It's more like where I haven't been if you know what I mean" he said teasingly turning the conversation playful again.