TVD: The Siphoner

"Oh, oh… look at who we have here," Damon drawled, a slow grin spreading across his face as he stepped closer, hands in his pockets, eyes gleaming with mischief.

"You two know each other?" Bonnie asked, her brow furrowing.

Aiken's jaw tightened for just a moment before he exhaled slowly, visibly steadying himself. "Yes… let's just say… we have an unresolved argument," he replied with a composed smile.

Damon gave a low chuckle. "That's one way to put it." His eyes narrowed slightly. This guy… If it weren't for the little detail that Aiken had nearly killed him, Damon might've actually liked the guy. He had style.

...

Elena and Stefan were curled up together on the two-person couch. Damon and Caroline occupied the second couch—Caroline with her legs composed while Damon lounged beside her like a lazy cat. Bonnie, claiming the only available space left, had perched herself on Aiken's lap on the single armchair, her back against his chest. He was absently twirling a lock of her hair around his fingers, his other hand resting lightly on her thigh.

"It's incredible that Tanner accepted you onto the team," Caroline was saying brightly to Stefan. "Tyler will be furious."

She laughed. "Congratulations."

"That's what I always tell him," Damon said with a smirk. "You have to throw yourself in. You can't sit around waiting for life to happen—you have to go and get it." His gaze lingered on Stefan meaningfully, then flicked to Aiken for the briefest moment.

Aiken didn't respond. He just smiled to himself, still playing with Bonnie's hair.

Then Caroline turned her attention to Elena. "Instead... to you, it didn't go that well… but that's only because you weren't at summer camp. I don't know how you'll be able to learn the choreographies—"

"I'll help her," Bonnie cut in, her voice firm and direct. "She'll learn them."

Caroline waved the comment away without even pausing. "We could just put her really, really behind…"

"You know…" Damon began, looking at Elena with curiosity, "you don't exactly strike me as the cheerleader type."

Elena let out a soft, embarrassed chuckle and took a sip of her coffee, trying to brush it off.

"No, it's only because her parents just died," Caroline blurted, still smiling. "She's going through a depressive state. Back then, she was way more fun."

Bonnie's entire body tensed. Her hand clenched over Aiken's. Her glare could have set Caroline on fire.

Caroline blinked, realizing what she had just said. "And I say that… with the most affection in the world," she added quickly.

Elena tried to smile, but it didn't quite reach her eyes. She shifted uncomfortably on the couch.

"I am sorry," Damon said quietly, his voice softer now. "I know how it feels, losing both parents. Unfortunately, me and Stefan have seen nearly all the people we love die."

"I don't think it's the case to talk about that," Stefan said, his voice low and warning.

"Ah, yes, Stefan…" Damon muttered, his smirk returning. "Because the last thing I wanted to talk about… was her."

A heavy silence settled over the room, tense and uncomfortable.

Then, Aiken broke it.

"So, Damon…" he said, his tone light but his gaze sharp. "Last time, we didn't really get the chance to talk properly, did we?"

Damon leaned back slowly, the smirk returning to his lips like a mask. "No," he said. "We didn't."

Aiken leaned back slightly, his eyes narrowing with amused curiosity. "So… what is your favorite type of prey?" he asked smoothly.

Everyone froze, the question hanging heavy in the air. Elena blinked, and Stefan's face tightened.

Is he insane? Does he want to tell everyone about him... Stefan thought, alarm flashing in his eyes.

Damon's lips curled into a slow, amused smile. "Prey?" he echoed, clearly intrigued by Aiken's bluntness. This guy was becoming more and more interesting by the second.

"Yes," Aiken said, flashing a smile that didn't quite reach his eyes. "You're a hunter, right?"

Damon chuckled softly, deciding to play along. "Yes. How did you figure that out?"

Aiken held up his own hands and wiggled his fingers. "You just gave me the vibes of one."

Damon's grin widened. "My favorite type of prey, you say..."

He leaned forward, eyes glinting with something dark and thrilling.

"Well… the ecstasy of catching a bleeding prey… running and screaming, fearing for his life, will never cease to excite me." His voice dropped to a low, almost purring tone.

He looked up, locking eyes with Aiken. "What about you?"

Aiken smiled, the shadows around him seeming to deepen slightly. "I prefer killing with one shot… I don't like wasting time."

The living room was thick with tension and unspoken understanding as their words lingered.

...

The light chatter and clinking of dishes echo from the kitchen. Elena and Bonnie are cleaning up, and to Stefan's growing unease, Damon had casually volunteered to "help." That left the living room quiet—eerily quiet—with just Stefan, Caroline, and Aiken.

Aiken was perfectly calm, sitting in his usual relaxed posture, his eyes occasionally flicking toward the kitchen but showing no concern. Damon wouldn't dare anything tonight. Not with everyone here.

Caroline, sitting on the couch beside Stefan, sipped her tea slowly.

"Matt is trying, but..." she began, her voice soft and uncertain. "But he's going through a really bad time right now."

"You have to understand that before..." she continued, glancing at Stefan. "Matt and Elena practically belonged to each other."

Stefan gave a slow nod, not even a flicker of jealousy in his expression.

"Practically from the cradle," she added with a bittersweet smile.

Stefan chuckled faintly.

Just then, Aiken's voice broke in. "Cute, that scarf."

Caroline rolled her eyes, immediately annoyed. "Cute? So Bonnie taught you some nice words, huh?"

Aiken smiled with mock innocence. "Can I see it?"

Stefan caught on instantly. There was something deliberate behind Aiken's request. Playing along, he leaned closer to Caroline, his tone soft but curious. "Yeah, it is very cute. Do you mind taking it off?"

Caroline stiffened, her hands instinctively brushing the scarf at her neck. "No, I… I can't."

"Why?" Aiken asked lightly. "Are you not feeling well?"

"Ehm… I just know that… I can't take it off..." she muttered, looking visibly uncomfortable.

Before either of them could press further, Damon strolled in from the kitchen, a too-relaxed smirk on his face.

"Guys… what are we talking about here?" he said, settling casually onto the armrest of the sofa next to Caroline.

"We were just talking about Caroline's scarf," Aiken replied, flashing a disarming smile.

"Yeah… it's really cute," Stefan added, eyes on Damon now.

"Hm..." Damon hummed, his gaze drifting toward Caroline. "You know, Elena and Bonnie are washing the dishes... why don't you go help them?"

Caroline scoffed, turning to Stefan with a smile. "Do I seem like the type to wash dishes?"

Stefan only smiled back, gently amused.

Damon leaned in closer, lowering his voice. "Do it… for me."

Caroline tilted her head, pretending to consider. "No."

Damon let out a long sigh, his eyes locking onto hers. "Go and see if Elena needs help with the dishes."

Caroline's demeanor changed instantly. Her smile returned, but it was hollow. "You know what? I'll go and see if Elena needs help with the dishes."

"Go," Damon said, grinning victoriously as she stood and walked out.

The moment she was gone, Stefan turned to Damon, his voice quiet but sharp. "They are people, Damon. She's not a doll. She doesn't exist for your entertainment—or for you to feed off whenever you want."

"Oh, yes she does," Damon replied smugly. "Just like all of them. They're whatever I want them to be. They're at my disposition."

"You used Caroline to get to me and Elena. Congratulations," Stefan said coldly. "But now it's time to leave."

Aiken said nothing, simply observing, his expression unreadable.

"I don't see the problem," Damon said. "I was invited in. So I'll come back tomorrow. And the day after. And I'll make whatever I want out of your little cheerleader… understood? Because this is what I am."

A soft chuckle came from Aiken, still seated calmly. The tension twisted sharply in the air as both brothers turned toward him.

"Are you jealous of Stefan, Damon?" Aiken said lightly.

Damon's eyes darkened with fury. "Jealous?"

He stormed over to Aiken, his face inches away, fangs flashing.

"Listen here, you two-bit magician…" Damon growled. "Utter something like that again, and I'll send your head to your little girlfriend. Understood?"

But Aiken didn't flinch. Not even a blink. Instead, he smiled wider, eyes locked onto Damon's like steel behind silk.

"Oh... scary."

To be continued...

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