Disclaimer: In case you didn't know, I'm not L.G. Smith. Why she would be on a Fanfiction site really beats me. ^.^
Chapter One
"We sometimes encounter people, even perfect strangers, who begin to interest us at first sight, somehow suddenly, all at once, before a word has been spoken."
-Fydor Dostoevsky
******
Damon stretched his body alongside the couch in satisfaction, still in his boxers from last night's little fling. How asinine his brother was, believing it was only right to have one girl in his pathetic life. Not that Elena isn't a fine specimen of Mother Nature, Damon thought crookedly.
******
"Aeron!"
"Nicolae!" She retorted, a childish grin on her lips.
The young man wasn't in the mood for his sister's games. He hadn't slept a wink last night and the dark rings under his eyes told everyone that. Nicolae stood up and pulled a kitchen chair from under the table with a grim look, his gray eyes steady and cold. Aeron copied him relentlessly straddling the chair backwards. "Where were you last night?" He asked huskily narrowing his gaze.
Aeron shrugged innocently. She pressed together her lips with a frown. "Look Nicolae, I left that's all you need to know. No reason to get into my business, right?" She twirled a piece of hair in her fingers. "Besides, what was the point of staying in the meeting? It was just a bunch of old people talking about old people things. We both know they'll drop dead before I'm twenty-one." That was true; everyone there had to be at least ninety years old other than herself and Nicolae.
Nicolae's face hardened in anger and frustration. "Aeron, those 'old people' are some of the most powerful beings in the universe- Aeron pay attention and leave the damn cat alone!" He slammed his palm down on the table.
The white cat bounded from the table in a sprint making Aeron frown. "Don't cuss, Nic. Zora's innocent ears might hear." She closed her eyes and leaned back so he wouldn't see her roll her eyes.
The table shook as Nicolae pushed himself away from the kitchen table with a snarl. "Aeron, until you can learn to act your age you're staying in the house, understand? Don't go out unless you have Zora with you and-"
"I am acting my age Nicolae! I'm nineteen! That's what we do! Do you even see any nineteen year-olds sitting in a freaking meeting with people on life-support listening to why we need to keep low in case we go into the Middle Ages again and people are threatening to burn our kind on stakes? No, we're at clubs getting drunk and getting taxied home by some random Italian boy you meet! You act you're age Nicolae! You're twenty-six and don't have a girlfriend. Now that's sad." Aeron threw her chair back and stormed out of the room in a moment of anger, slamming the front door behind her. She and Nicolae fought a lot, that's what siblings do, but never to the point where one would leave the premises. They'd talk it out later and make up. But Aeron was a woman and she could hold a grudge for a long time.
******
Damon shook his head furiously. He needed to stop nodding off like that. There was a date he was scheduled to attend with a young college student later on that he did not want to miss. Why was he so tired? He as a vampire for his sake, he shouldn't be like this. What had he done last night with that girl?
11:00 PM Yesterday Evening
Aeron slouched against the stark white wall, whether in boredom or near death she couldn't tell. When Nicolae had announced they were going to Italy she had been more than happy. Pompeii and Rome, the cuisine, the hot Italian boys. That's what people did when they visited Italy. What they didn't do was sit in a white room with old people listening to how their spouses and children were burned and hunted in the 15th century or whatever time period it was. The point was she didn't care.
And did she mention how white everything was? White walls, white tables, even the people – expect for Nicolae and herself – were white. White robes with white hair. How do people think we practice dark magic when everything is so bright? She thought irritated.
And it wasn't just the white, it was also the silence. It was only eleven and they had to sit in the quiet for a whole other hour! Until midnight, than the stupid silence was going to be broke. It was some kind of sign of respect to the gods and goddesses. Or maybe that wasn't it, some witches and warlocks were actually Christian and not Wiccan….
Nicolae's arm snapped out hitting her on the side. She yelped out in pain, turning red at first before realizing it was okay to talk now. "Finally," she muttered trying to keep it low. "I thought that would never end."
One of the Elders chuckled, but Nicolae was almost purple with rage as he dragged her out of the conference room into the hall. The white hall. How original. "What part of silence is so misapprehending to you? You do know what misapprehending means correct? Because as of right now I'm really think over your abilities to identify with things."
"What?" Aeron asked, truly confused. She hadn't made a noise had she?
Nicolae curled his lip, "When you can shut your mouth you're allowed back inside," he growled fiercely.
Aeron stood in the hallway several minutes soaking up anger. She really didn't want to be in this dumb meeting coven thing anyway! She heard voices in the room and decided to leave. Obviously they were getting along fine without her.
I wonder, she thought softly, if there are any good nightclubs in Italy.
Every club she had been in so far had had strobe lights making Aeron feel like she was going to have a seizure. Finally, she came across a more deserted one, almost pitch black in the inside. She didn't like the dark aura vibrating off the shelter, but bartender didn't ask for any I.D. from the underage drinker. She wasn't a heavy drinker; she just needed something to get Nicolae off her mind.
"Trouble in paradise, dear?"
Aeron spun around, choking on her drink and almost having to spit it out. "I, um, kind of. Well... if you want to call Italy paradise than yeah." She could barely see the outline of the young man but by his accent she decided to take a wild guess and say he was from around these parts.
He chuckled and leaned in close. "Well, you can tell me. I can't promise I won't bite though," He laughed. "You can call me Stefan."
Aeron blushed a little wary of him, and really didn't know what to tell him. "Stephen?"
"Stefan," He corrected her with a grin. He seemed amused at her mispronunciation.
"Yeah, that too. I'm Aeron." She shrugged picking up her drink awkwardly to sip. Maybe she should give up it and order a water, just in case something was going to, well, get down.
"Aeron… isn't that a boy name?" He asked. She thought she saw him cock an eyebrow but the most she could see was his silhouette.
"It's unisex!" She yelled, fuming. "And Stephan- Stefan whatever – is…"
Stefan laughed softly, "Okay, I get it. I'll stop. It's Greek, in case you needed a little help there."
Aeron sulked against the counter, "I'm not an idiot! And I do know what misapprehending means." Apparently Nicolae was still on her mind. Why as he so hard to shake off all of a sudden?
"I'm so happy I chose a woman with such a broad vocabulary," Stefan grinned and leaned close.
"Did we forget to put in one of our colored contacts today, as well?"
Aeron looked away from studying her drink. "What?"
Stefan shook his head and sighed. "I swear… One eye's green and the other is brown."
"Oh," She blushed and looked away. How could he even see in this lighting? Not that there was much of it. "I have heterochromia. One eye is a different color than the other."
Stefan offered her a crooked smile. "How exotic. I like it."
******
Different colored eyes? Damon hadn't met a girl like that in years. And how funny was it that she kept mispronouncing his brother's name! When Damon and the others got him away from the twins he'd be able to call him that. Then again, being his little brother, he would be happy just because Damon called him something other than 'little brother'. Why did he have to ruin al of Damon's fun?
He had left Mutt and Elena after Mortally Annoying Troublesome Thing had gotten on his last nerve. Good luck trying to find St. Stefan now, Damon thought vainly. Without another vampire you'll get nowhere.
"Stefan?"
Damon's eyes flickered to the little witch. Was she still so incapable of understanding what he was? Well, it didn't matter much did it? If he could get her to trust her enough breaking the news to her wouldn't make her run away screaming. And if not, well it was just a one-night stand he was so much stronger than her. He'd overpower her no matter what. What a reputation he was going to make of Stefan Salvatore with this little one.
Okay, maybe not the best Vampire Diaries fanfic you ever read (if you've ever read some of windain's you know what I'm talking about) but it's not the worst right?
Also I have pictures of Aeron, Nicolae, and Zora (and the cats) in my profile. I'm thinking of getting one of Damon and the twins in there as well.
One last thing thanks a thousand times over to AshCrash44