It was months after Alaric's girlfriend had died a tragic death that I began seeing him. I was new to Mystic Falls, but not by much, seeing as how I grew up here. I left ten years ago when I was fifteen because of a vampire attack. The damn bloodsuckers got the best of my friends, but I left, with the distant memory of the vampire, Claus he told me his name was, tried to capture me and killed my friends in the process.
I didn't mean to come to town and start shacking up with the first hunter I found, but that's how I was viewed. I got strange looks from people who were close to the Gilbert's when it became public that we were together. I became lose to him while I hung around my old favorite spot in town, The Grill.
He was always there, sitting at the bar with a solemn expression on his face. It would be rude to ignore him when he walked over to the booth I had vacated with my worn Sarah Dessen novel resting in my lap, my knees pulled up. He came to me first, I wasn't looking for him. I knew of him, of most people in this town that were talked about frequently, in fact. The Grill happened to be a place of gossip. That and my long time best friend, Cassen Bennett, filled me in on my first day back.
I came back home, almost exactly four months after Jenna Gilbert had mysteriously died. I had known her as a kid, she was very kind and she was like me in ways I never understood. She was very outgoing and when I heard she had died, I had wished I had gotten to know her when I had the chance.
Then I heard of the handsome man left alone after his girlfriend, Jenna, had died. How he didn't show it too much, but Cassen could tell he was heartbroken. She told me about Elena and Stefan, her cousin Bonnie, and the budding romance of Matt and Caroline. She was twenty three and knew these people well, thanks to her cousin and the friendly environment that was Mystic Falls.
I was curious about Elena and Damon, I had heard about the Gilbert's adopting a baby girl suddenly. I had seen her around the neighborhood as a kid and she was a beautiful child, I would've been thankful to have had such a wonderful daughter. I had met her once, at a local event, she was very polite and sweet. I had heard endless details of Elena and Stefan, the cutest couple around, but what sparked my interest was the seemingly endless devotion his brother, Damon, had to Elena.
He was always there, and from looks I've seen when Cassen pointed him out once at The Grill, he loved her. I asked one day why Stefan wasn't around and she said she wasn't sure, that he had left so suddenly that no one knew where he was. Elena had been broken up about it, but with Damon keeping her company it didn't surprise me when I saw her laughing and smiling with him at the bar. He would look at me sometimes, glance back at the new girl who probably could've been a threat, though I knew I wasn't. Maybe that was how I had gained the interest of Alaric Saltzman.
Damon would take his spot at the bar next to Alaric almost daily. I had noticed the ruffled brown hair and intriguing brown eyes soon after I realized it was a habit of theirs to meet here. When I first mentioned Alaric to Cassen she had told me about how when Jenna died he had adopted Elena and Jeremy. They had trusted him and he was already a part of the family, so it was understood. I was a friend of the Gilberts for a period of time, but the ones alive wouldn't remember me so I kept my presence a low hum in the boom of gossip around town. I didn't want to make a show of me being here and have them feel the need to say hi or something.
I found out the important detail about Alaric and the bunch of high school kids he hung around when I had been talking to Cassen over coffee one day. She was talking about Bonnie and the developing abilities that soon became full grown power. Then she told me about Alaric being a hunter, Elena being involved with the infamous vampires Stefan and Damon Salvatore, Caroline being a vampire, and all the other things I had only had theories for had now been sprung upon me in one day. I looked at them differently, but only with more respect. They had been through a lot, most have when they've been involved with vampires.
When Alaric made a habit of seeing me instead of the bars and numerous drinks he usually came to see, I had also made a habit of not bringing a book. He kept me busy, I realized one day, when I was trying to read and kept pestering me about weather and obviously humoring himself with the smirk he held on his face when he did so.
"You know," I stated one day when he was extra bothersome. "I don't understand why you are hanging around me. It's actually quite annoying."
"Well, I don't even know your name; I guess annoying a stranger was something I felt the need to do. If I knew your name, maybe I would stop." He said.
"I'm Brooklyn. I assume you're Alaric, the teacher." I said.
"So you've heard of me." Another smile was peeking through his pink lips. I stopped looking, so I wasn't considered starring. I didn't him to comment on that.
"Everyone knows everybody here; it was only a matter of time." I stated.
"Well, Brooklyn, would you like a drink?" He asked.
"I'm not much of a drinker, but maybe a beer mixed with lime and sprite would do." I said with a wink. He chuckled and got up without a response. I didn't think he would actually get it. A minute later he was back with my special beer and a small glass of vodka for himself.
"Thanks. I'll pay you back later." I said as I reached for the beer.
"It's alright; I owed you for the annoyance I have apparently become." He responded.
"What, you haven't always been annoying?" I joked. He remained silent for a moment.
"No, I haven't." He answered before taking a sip of his beer.
This started the casual talks that led to him wanting to take to the local movie that was playing, and then going to his place for drinks. The kissing didn't start until a month after, five months after Jenna's death. Then the more serious stuff only a week or so later. It was unexpected, but enjoyable.