TVD: The Siphoner

Evening had fallen, and the atmosphere at Mystic Falls High School was electric. The game was about to start, and the bleachers were packed.

"Calm down, calm down…" Mr. Tanner called into the mic, pacing near the sidelines in his bright red coach's suit.

The excited chatter and yelling subsided a little.

"Let's be honest," he began, his voice booming. "In the past, we've let too many teams come into our house and humiliate us!"

"Boo!" Caroline, head of the cheerleaders, booed loudly, her girls following her lead. Soon, the students joined in the chorus of jeers.

"But from now on, that ends!" Mr. Tanner roared, the crowd erupting in cheers.

"We've got a new weapon on offense debuting tonight…" He grinned. "And let me tell you—it's been a long time since I've seen hands like his!"

"A round of applause for Stefan Salvatore!"

The crowd roared again. Stefan, suited up in his football gear, gave a charming smile to Elena from across the field. She smiled back, warmly.

As Mr. Tanner continued hyping the team, Aiken stood off to the side, leaning against the fence, unimpressed.

'So boring…' he thought. 'What do they even find fun in guys chasing a ball and dodging tackles?'

Then his eyes caught a scene unfolding just outside the crowd—Tyler and Vicki were talking, and Jeremy stood in front of them, tension in the air.

Suddenly, Jeremy threw a punch.

Tyler's head snapped back, but the fury in his eyes lit up instantly. He tackled Jeremy, slamming him hard against a parked car.

Jeremy's bottle slipped from his hand and shattered on the ground.

Aiken sighed. 'Seriously?'

The crowd began to shift, students forming a ring around the fight. Tyler was already on top of Jeremy, fists flying, Vicki screaming at him to stop.

Then, just as Tyler raised his arm for another punch—it froze in midair.

Aiken had grabbed his wrist.

"Stop it," Aiken said coolly.

Tyler spun and, without hesitation, swung a fist at Aiken. But Aiken was still gripping his arm. With a twist and shift of his weight, he flipped Tyler clean onto the pavement.

"Ohh!" the crowd gasped, impressed.

"Aiken!" Bonnie, in her cheerleader uniform, rushed forward from the sideline.

"Don't worry, Bon Bon," Aiken said, keeping his tone calm. "Everything's under control."

"You son of a—!" Tyler growled, already getting up again and charging.

Aiken readied to counter—when he noticed Jeremy behind them. The boy was gripping a jagged piece of his shattered bottle, eyes locked on Tyler.

'Nope.'

Without hesitation, Aiken shoved Tyler aside and swept his leg toward Jeremy, knocking the broken glass from his hand.

The crowd gasped again.

Jeremy stumbled back, looking startled. Tyler sat on the ground, panting. Aiken stood in the middle, calm as ever.

Aiken turned to Vicky, his voice casual but sharp.

"Hurry up and choose one of them before they end up killing each other," he said, then turned his back on the mess without a second glance.

Tyler tried to rush after him, but Matt stepped in, holding him back with effort.

"Let it go, man!" Matt growled, struggling to keep Tyler from making a scene.

Jeremy, still sitting on the ground, was being scolded by Elena, who was visibly shaken.

Aiken returned to Bonnie like nothing had happened. Without a word, he leaned in and kissed her on the lips.

"Told you," he murmured as he hugged her from behind. "It's all under my control." He smiled, as if the chaos never existed.

---

Stefan, and Aiken were walking off the football field under the tall lights, their shadows stretching over the grass.

Aiken had caught up to Stefan first, walking beside him.

"So, about Damon…" he began casually.

But before he could finish, Matt jogged up to them.

"Aiken," Matt called. "What you did earlier… with Jeremy…"

Aiken glanced over.

"Well, I just didn't want Elena's little brother to get beaten up in front of everyone," he replied with a shrug.

Matt offered his hand. "Thanks. Again."

Aiken took it, giving a firm shake.

Then Matt turned to Stefan, extending his hand again. "Sorry for earlier. I was a total idiot during training."

Stefan smiled softly. "You had your reasons."

"I don't have any excuses," Matt said. "Good luck for the game. It's a fortune having you on the team."

With that, he left.

A beat of silence passed.

Clap. Clap. Clap.

Slow, sarcastic clapping echoed from behind.

"It's really moving…" a voice drawled.

Aiken and Stefan turned to see Damon casually reclining on a low wall, watching them with an amused smirk.

"Stefan joins the team, makes a new little friend…" he said lazily.

"Oh, Damon…" Aiken said with a grin, stepping forward. "I was just about to ask Stefan about you."

"Oh, really? And what?" Damon said with a sly smile, tilting his head.

"Oh, only if you were gonna cause trouble any time soon," Aiken replied smoothly, leaning back against the wall, arms crossed.

Damon chuckled, eyes flicking to his brother. "Stefan…" he began, still smiling. "Great trick with Elena. Let me guess—vervain in her pendant, right?"

Stefan didn't answer, his face remaining calm.

"I have to admit," Damon went on smugly, "usually nobody can resist my compulsion. Where'd you get it, by the way?"

Stefan turned and began walking off, not even looking at him.

Aiken simply lay down on the wall, propping his head on his arm like he was watching a show.

Damon's grin widened as he watched his brother's back.

"You know, Stefan…" he called, voice teasing and low, "I could still seduce her… or eat her."

Stefan stopped in his tracks.

The air suddenly shifted.

Aiken didn't move, but his eyes narrowed, and the playful look on his face faded into something else—sharper.

To be continued...

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