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↳ 005, summer, week 2

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𝐍𝐈𝐊 𝐄𝐍𝐓𝐄𝐑𝐄𝐃 𝐇𝐄𝐑 𝐇𝐎𝐌𝐄 𝐒𝐋𝐎𝐖𝐋𝐘, taking in the furniture and the photos on the walls. Colette felt suddenly self conscious knowing he was here and silently judging the way her family lived. She was sure if she entered his own home, she'd be going through her own inner monologue of judgement but she wanted to impress him. She wanted to keep him.

"Your family home?" he asked, looking at her over his shoulder as he entered her kitchen.

She began to put away the food she had taken out in an awkward rush as she smiled. "Asleep, upstairs."

"Then I'll do my best to keep quiet," he murmured with a tempting smirk. He watched her as she placed what she had been eating back and he said, "How come you're still not at the party?"

"I mean, you weren't there," she sighed. "Who could really blame me for leaving?"

"Something happen?"

"More like what didn't," she said, giving him a small smile as she began to put a new filter in the coffee pot for her parents. "Want anything to drink?"

"I'll take whatever you're having."

She made them hot chocolate. It was far too late for coffee or tea or even more alcohol. They took their steaming cups to her front porch where they sat in the lounge chairs with the brightly colored pillows.

The night air was cool against her skin but she didn't mind the feeling. It was keeping her awake, more alert in his presence. There was something about being out there with the soft song of the cicadas playing and the hum of the houses and cars roaring from a distance. It was calming, so normal, like the night was their haven rather than a terrifying cage of darkness. He made her feel safe and she couldn't explain why.

"Tell me what happened tonight," Nik murmured, bringing his mug to his lips. He had laughed when she had started making the drink and the laughter never left his eyes as he marveled at her and she soaked up every drop of his admiration.

She folded a leg underneath her, the mug warming the inside of her thigh like a tentative kiss or the grip from a warning hand. "Naya practically sabotaged our date tonight."

He made an 'ah' expression, nodding. "I assumed as much."

"Had me running around taking care of things like I was her mother," said Colette. "She entertained and I had to clean the vomit out of the sink."

"Why do you hang around her if all she does is command your every move?"

She shrugged. "We've been friends for so long that it doesn't seem like we could ever not be."

Not even death could separate us.

"Sometimes it's better to cut someone off, to sever that link," he said, taking another long sip from his mug. His eyes never left her face, even as he licked the chocolate from his lips. She wondered what he would taste like, if he would taste as dangerous and exotic as he seemed. "I've had to do it with quite a few of my siblings. It's easier to hide them away than to deal with the consequences."

"And if they come back?" And they always do.

"Explain why you needed a break." He shrugged. "Sometimes it's for their own good. Not all wolves need to be a part of a pack."

"Come on, I can't believe that," she laughed, shaking her head.

"I don't," he said with a musing smile, "but sometimes, in your case, it would make all the difference. Don't you agree?"

She adjusted her legs again, shifting in her seat. "I can't just leave Naya."

"Even if it would be better for you if you did?"

You can't run from each other. No matter how far you'd run, she'd always find you. You know each other's scents, you know the other by blood and smell alone.

She shook her head with a laugh, glancing up from her mug to meet his cool stare. "Tell me more about your family. Where are you from originally?"

"Would you believe me if I said from here?"

She sat up a little, her lips parted in silent shock. "Mystic Falls? Really?"

He nodded, his rings clinking against the mug like a rhythmic lullaby. "My parents are from Norway, surprisingly."

"But your accent–?"

"They moved around a lot when they were younger and met here."

"Why did you leave?"

His eyes trailed off to the street, glancing out into the black and the moving leaves. He looked almost frightening with the soft cast of the porch light against his face like a partial mask falling away into a rotten darkness. "Sometimes we all have to move on."

"And if we can't?" He met her eyes as she spoke and something stirred within her like a slithering beast coming awake. Her slumber was near finished.

"Then the suffering ensues and we burn along with them."

But when have they ever stopped burning? When did the flames even begin if they've always been there?

She set her drink down on the little table between them, rising to her feet to rid the tingling now spreading into her ankle. She'd been resting on her leg wrong. Or, she was just using the act to keep her from asking the question that had lingered on her tongue since the start of their conversation.

She settled against the porch railing, turning to face him as she asked, "What made you want to come back?"

He placed his drink down besides hers and stood, his full height settling just above her own. She had to crane her head up only slightly to meet his darkening gaze. "Honestly?"

She nodded, feeling him drawing closer. Her breath was seconds away from hitching, a searing heat pooling inside her and she felt the serpent uncoil and rattle and hiss.

"I saw you and knew I couldn't let you go." He leaned closer and she could smell the chocolate on his breath, she hoped she could taste it on his tongue. "You're more special than you could ever realize, Colette."

He said her name and her knees nearly buckled. He leaned closer, their bodies inches from touching. She latched onto the railing behind her in an ironclad grip and she probably would never have noticed the strain and pull in her knuckles from the way she held herself up. Her knuckles were white and ready to split open with anticipation.

"Why me?" she found herself saying in a voice that no longer belonged to her. Breathy and open, ready for the all consuming look and feel of him against her but he didn't move closer. He was keeping his distance like he was afraid to devour her, to lose control.

Was this normal? To feel this sudden and strong connection with someone you'd just met? Surely this had happened to others before just like her. How did one glance, one look, send them here with a purpose like they were never supposed to be separated.

They were always supposed to meet. The fates had willed it so.

The gods had played their hand and meddled, as they always did.

The universal forces had wielded their purpose and Colette just didn't know yet how much the gods had truly slipped in their own wills until it was too late, but wasn't everything too late? Wasn't it all destined to end the same way?

"Why not you?" he responded and he reached out with one hand, brushing it along her cheek. His rings were like ice against her skin, melting against the searing heat coating her like a second skin ready to be shed. "I saw you in that bar and I lost my breath. I saw you and I knew I couldn't live without knowing your name, without knowing who you were."

You're nothing without me, mocked Naya. You're just another bitch for him to screw.

"You're nothing like I've ever seen before," he murmured, running this thumb along her jaw. Her heart picked up madly inside her chest and she knew it wouldn't stop until he was long gone and she didn't want that. She'd rather her heart was torn free, rescued by his clawed grip. "I came back to this," he looked around and let out a laugh, "god forsaken town because if you are here then so am I. I'm willing to stay here, to live here, in order to learn every little thing about you. I want to memorize every detail while I've got the chance."

"I–" She couldn't speak. "Oh, Nik–" Colette was truly at a loss for words.

He laughed softly, the sound mimicking something holy to her. He brushed his hand across her cheek once more before saying, "Just promise me you'll meet me for dinner, sometime soon?"

She nodded vigorously, completely wordless.

Something flashed within his eyes, something like pity, as he regarded her. "I swear on everything that I will treat you the way these people haven't."

I will worship you.

"Do you have to leave?" She cursed herself for that being the only thing she could get our properly but it earned another soft laugh from him and she vowed to never stop making him laugh, the sound was already too precious. Too rare.

"Sadly."

"You can–" She looked to her front door and sighed. Her parents were home, she couldn't have him come up to her room and for what? What would they do once they got there?

He smiled, genuinely, his lips curling up into something soft and not at all wicked. "There's some business I have to take care of tomorrow but, please, don't forget all I've said."

"Never," she replied.

Nik stepped away from her and she shivered. He'd been so warm, so close, and without him near she felt empty. And lonely already. He walked to the steps and glanced back at her with the same small smile still against his lips.

"Goodnight, Colette."

She let out a happy breath. "Goodnight, Nik."

She woke the next morning, far earlier than she would've wished, to her phone ringing. It buzzed from underneath her pillow and she scrambled her hand around until her fingers closed around the vibrations. Glaring at the screen in the dark room, the sky a lush baby pink and peeking at her from a slit in her curtains, she frowned.

Naya had called her multiple times last night but that wasn't who was calling her now. In fact, she didn't know the number at all.

She answered the phone anyway with a gruff, "Hello?"

"Not much of a morning person are you?" came the cool voice of Damon Salvatore. He sounded chipper for it being just a few minutes shy of seven a.m. "Would've guessed you'd be up by now, considering how your little companion likes to keep you moving."

"Damon, what the hell do you want?" She ignored how rude she sounded but she was exhausted. She hadn't gone straight to bed last night, she had spent about an hour or so wandering her room in a giddy chatter by herself. The events of Nik coming over had left her heart soaring and her hands shaking.

"Heard from your brother last night that you and your little group of bar hoppers went to the Tin Fox the other week," he explained and Colette heard the flutter of papers on the other end and the sound of a door creaking open.

"Yeah, and?"

"Was just wondering if you happened to see Stefan there."

"Stefan? As in your brother?" Cole shook her head. "Why would he be there?"

"He's been traveling a lot. You know how teens are, they can never stay in one place for long," rattled Damon and she tried to imagine what the hell he was doing up this early. Surely he didn't always get up at this hour. "I've been trying to reach him because, well, the kid can never keep his phone charged for long."

"And this involves me how?"

"He liked to frequent that bar, I'm trying to connect the dots on where he's been."

Colette sighed, rubbing the sleep from her eyes. "Why not ask Elena? He must be keeping up with her of all people."

"You're right, wow, how did I not think of that?" said Damon sarcastically.

It dawned on Colette that she was forgetting something, something that had to do with the other Salvatore but she just couldn't think of what it was.

"Couldn't you have just asked Tommy if he'd seen him? Or maybe, I don't know, called me when the sun was up?"

"Tommy was a little busy getting wasted to notice."

"And I wasn't?"

"Come on," laughed Damon, "you never get drunk enough to forget, but Tommy and the others? They drink because remembering sucks." He paused. "You're different from them."

"Damon..."

"So you're sure you didn't see him?"

She nodded and mumbled out, "Positive. There wasn't anyone there I knew." Besides Nik but she knew him by face alone. "Can I go back to sleep now?"

He chuckled. "Sweet dreams, Colette, don't be afraid to think of me as you're counting sheep."

She scoffed, hanging up and thinking, pig.

Her feelings about the older Salvatore had changed the moment she'd seen him hanging over Naya and vice versa. He was handsome, yes, and she knew he was incredibly gifted in the bedroom thanks to the rumors, but she couldn't have him. Not after Naya worshipped on his hands and feet. Even though he had rejected her, she still hungered for him, like most.

Colette had succumbed to her own fantasies of Damon and she was sure she always would, but there was something about the golden lion who frequently conquered her thoughts that held her by a different possession entirely.

She did wonder why Damon was so worried about his brother and why the younger Salvatore wasn't returning his calls. It surprised her even more to know Stefan wasn't keeping in constant contact with Elena, either. Hadn't they been nearly inseparable during the school year? Wrapped around the other like twizzlers?

It didn't seem wise for Stefan to leave his brother with his girlfriend, especially since everyone knew how Damon truly felt about the girl. It was no secret. 

She frowned, scratching at an itch in her hairline as she thought. Surely there was something she knew about Stefan, something that had made her do...well, she didn't know what it made her do. There was something missing from her brain and it was going to bother her until she found out or forgot again.

She honestly hoped she would just forget. Things were easier when they were forgotten.

She rolled over onto her side and sat up, stretching her arms over her head and breathing deeply. There was a slight hop in her step as she bounded out of bed and towards the curtains, throwing them open and blinking at the angelic streams of sunlight spinning through the trees. She turns around and flicks on the light in her bathroom and runs through her morning routine for once.

She steps into the shower, feeling sticky from the sweat and the smell of beer from the party, she runs her head under the warm water. It cascades down her neck and back like a burning coal tumbling down her pinked flesh. She shivers, not from cold, but from the sting of the steaming water.

It always felt better in the morning, when the sleep was wearing off and washed away by something hot and wicked. At night, it felt like a chore, like a job she had to do. But in the mornings, it was her choice. She could've happily gone the entire day masking the scent of cheap beer with perfume but the idea being her own to turn the shower on and step inside felt like something gratifying.

When she did things out of turn, it felt like no one controlled her but herself. There was no Naya whispering in her ear, there were no watchful eyes from parents, or even the wandering glance from a friend or foe. Sleeping and waking had the same effect on her.

It was her choice, her choice, her choice–

She closed her eyes and let the water hit her face. She pictured herself laying on her back, floating downstream with her hands clasped over her stomach. Washing away like the portrait of Ophelia, slowly drowning from her grief with the note of a song still on her lips.

To drown and never wake. To drown and never again be fake, to take an order, to follow a command.

To drown and burn under the sun's hateful gaze.

She opened her eyes and finished washing. Once Colette was done in the bathroom, she padded into her room wearing clean clothes, instead of the ones from the day before which she usually tended to wear on most occasions.

Going through her drawer for socks, since the floor's in their home were always cold, no matter the season, she heard a voice come from her doorway. She hadn't even heard the door open and she nearly yelped at the sound of someone speaking.

"Why the hell are you up so early?" yawned Tommy, leaning against the doorframe.

"Why the hell are you home?" countered Colette with the brushings of a smirk on her lips. She turned, leaning against her dresser, crossing her arms. "You're never home."

He entered her room, picking up one of the stuffed teddies sitting by her bed in a chair. He played with its swollen arms, shrugging at her comment. "Wanted to sleep in my own bed for once."

"Come on," she said, eyeing him, "tell me the real reason."

"There is no other reason."

"Tommy."

"Colette."

She narrowed her eyes, dangerously too thin slits.

He sighed, groaning out, "Got in a fight with a girl."

"Oh?" she cooed, turning to perch slightly against the dresser as she watched him sit on her bed. He looked tired, deep bags under his eyes like he stayed up the entire night. She almost frowned with thought, he must've been up at Naya's for the night. Unless he went home with Isaiah, but that seemed unlikely because hadn't she heard the boys talking about going to a bar after the party? "What type of girl?"

"A good one."

She rolled her eyes. "You need to give me a little more than that."

"She's just a girl, Cole," he said in an exasperated voice. "There isn't much else to it."

"Well," she murmured, coming to sit down on the bed by her pillows, "do you like her, a lot?"

He nodded, slowly as if he weren't sure whether he wanted to answer.

"How long have you been seeing her?"

He shrugged. "Since last year, maybe."

She gasped. Tommy wasn't one for serious relationships, especially ones that last so long. "Is it serious?"

"I don't know!" he cried, throwing his hands up. "Maybe? I don't know, Cole. She's just...so complicated sometimes."

"I thought you liked complicated."

He turned around to smack her gently and she barked out a laugh trying to avoid the playful swing. When he settled down, he shifted to face her, one leg tucked under the other. She noticed he had gotten another piercing along his ear and envied him. The last time he'd gotten one she'd gone with him and even held his hand, which he would later refuse to admit.

They were practically twins; they were so close in age. Their parents would never tell them the full story behind their relationship and how it started but it wasn't pretty for the other party involved. Adam's first wife had been beautiful and kind, at least that's what he says. She died in a car accident when pregnant with Tommy and he miraculously survived, although stuck in the NICU for a month. Stella, who had Colette after they were married, had met him in a bar as a grieving widower.

They married only a short few months after meeting.

It wasn't necessarily Colette's story to tell but this was what she gathered from it. Both her and Tommy were clueless whether or not those were the true events but something was tricky and far more complicated than it seemed.

But they were happy together, more in love than any couple Colette had come across. The devotion in their eyes practically screamed it to the world.

"Are you happy with her?" asked Colette, studying the way her brother's brows furrowed and his jaw went tight.

He nodded.

"Are you in love?"

He paused, looking at his hands in his lap. He fiddled with a loose string one his sock before nodding slowly. "I think so."

"You think?" she laughed.

He shrugged, the beginnings of a smile on his lips. "I'm as in love with her as you are with that brit from the bar."

This time, she was the one to smack him. He laughed, jumping up to avoid her swings and said, "What is up with you and that guy anyway? Naya went on and on about how he's a total creep."

"Naya doesn't know what she's talking about," said Colette, rolling her eyes before narrowing them. "And when did you and Naya start talking about me, huh? When have you two talked at all?"

He rolled his eyes. "Naya and I are allowed to be friends, Cole."

"I'm not saying you aren't, it's just..."

"Just what?"

She sighed. "She'll string you along until she gets what she wants, you know this."

Admitting her trickery but not running from it?

Tommy went to the door, shaking his head slowly. "She's better than you think."

As he left, she muttered to herself, "Yeah, sure she is."

Colette went over to Naya's house for breakfast and to help with the rest of the clean up. The girl's parents wouldn't be home until late that night so they had plenty of time to clean. When Cole arrived, she was surprised to find Matt and Tyler picking up solo cups and wiping down the counters with wet wipes.

"Cole, hey," said Matt as she entered the living room. "Naya went out to grab breakfast, she'll be back in ten."

She eyed the two boys, brows pulling together in confusion as to why they were here. "Did you two stay the night or...?"

"Believe it or not," Tyler said, holding up a trash bag. "She promised us each like thirty bucks if we clean the house."

"And we get free breakfast, too," added Matt.

Colette chuckled, shaking her head. She picked up a few empty beer bottles, walking them over to Tyler as she said, "What else did she promise you?"

"Nothing," muttered Matt as Tyler said, "Weed."

Ah, there it is. "You know you could just get it from Ryan, one of my brother's friends," she explained, eyeing the two as they continued to work. They were both wearing what they had been last night and Matt still had a splotch of discoloration on the end of his shirt where Caroline had accidentally spilled a beer on him. "Or, hell, get it from Jeremy."

"Jeremy's weed sucks," mocked Tyler. "Besides, he just gets it from Naya anyway."

Matt leaned against the couch, watching her before finally speaking. "Why'd you leave early last night?"

Tyler grinned. "Matt bitched about it for at least an hour."

"Oh, really?" She smiled, wondering if the boy knew what a terrible game he was about to start playing. Did they both know they were playing with fire?

"I owe you," said Matt, running a hand through his hair, "for what I did at Tyler's party."

"Right," she said, drawing out the 't' with a smile. "You mean when you spilled your entire slushie down my shirt?"

"Yeah, that," he sighed as Tyler tried not to laugh.

"You're lucky I was actually wearing something underneath," she said, stalking across the room to fix one of the paintings. She tilted it to the right until it was straight again. "Now that would've been a problem."

"I think Matt would've preferred it, hell, even I would've," barked out Tyler, his face scrunched up into another laugh.

Cole's cheeks went red and she shook her head.

Playing with fire, indeed.

Tyler's comment sent red, hot fear through her. Did Matt like her? If he did, which she hoped wasn't true, would be a bigger problem than she'd like to admit. Naya wanted him, like she wanted most things, but it was different with Matt.

Matt Donovan was like the boy next door. Sweet, kind, and a little perfectly boring. 

It would seem strange to others to know that Naya liked that, that she liked how there wasn't anything too shocking to him. That he was normal. She craved normalcy like Colette craved chocolate. 

She hoped Matt didn't like her, not for his sake but for her own.

"Are you and Naya going to throw one of your birthday ragers next week?" asked Matt after a few moments of silence.

She'd since then picked up a rag and was washing the stickiness off the kitchen counter, scrubbing at the gooey rings left by disgusting cups filled with god knows what. She glanced up from her job, watching Matt look out the back porch door and towards the pool.

It had clouded up since she'd been awake, the sky a coated gray.

"Yeah, thinking about it," she said when in reality she hadn't given it much thought at all. Would she rather throw a party? Get drunk and argue with Naya? Or would she rather have a peaceful night at home and potentially see her new beau? "It'll probably end up being here again."

She glanced back up again, watching him run his finger over a smudge on the glass door. It was funny, they would never have spoken if he hadn't accidentally spilled that drink. She wouldn't have spoken to any of them and the same with her.

Suddenly, she was involved. She was there.

Not a key player but no longer the outsider. She hoped that was the case, at least.

"Naya says you've got this older guy stalking you," said Tyler as he entered the kitchen, cracking open a beer. He leaned against the fridge as she turned to face him, his arms crossed with a smirk.

"Since when have you cared?"

His smirk got bigger and he let out a small laugh, shaking his head. "It's hard not to when your friend goes on and on about how you're going to end up on one of those cases on Dateline."

"He's not stalking me," she sighed, feeling Matt's stare. She glanced over, noticing how he'd stopped cleaning to listen. "He's a nice guy, believe it or not."

"Naya doesn't think so."

"And that should matter?" She bit the inside of her cheek, knowing she was being snappy. She was tired of people getting on her about it, couldn't it just stay between her and Nik? The only people it concerns?

Tyler opened his mouth to say something else when the door by the garage opened and Naya came calling out, "I come bearing sweet, delicious pancakes!"

She walked past Colette without a thought or glance, dropping the bags of food on the cleaned counter. It seemed like they weren't going to talk about the events of the night and how they'd nearly gotten into a screaming match.

They ate together outside, the wind bringing in a slight chill to the air as a storm began to brew in the distance. The clouds were thick with humidity masked by the breeze, pillowy and black like falling mountains towards the west.

Once they'd finished eating and Naya had paid the boys for their troubles, they left talking about dragging Jeremy out to the Lockwood mansion to test out the new stash. Colette sat at the counter as Naya boxed up the remaining pancakes for later, mumbling about someone coming over later tonight.

Colette drank from a bottle of water, swishing it around in her mouth to rid her of the sugary, sweet taste of the syrup before she spoke.

"Thanks, for last night."

"Huh?" Naya glanced at her, brows pulled together.

"You know, with Nik."

"What about Nik?" Naya's eyes narrowed and she stopped putting the food away to stare, one hand on her hip.

"He came to the party," Colette laughed, confused. "And you told him where to find me, thanks."

Naya gave her a blank expression before nodding slowly and saying, "Oh, yeah, no problem." She turned around, hair swishing over her shoulder and Colette caught the faint glimpse of a hickey against the girl's neck.

It seemed last night wasn't as much of a bust for her than Cole might've wished. Was that wrong? To wish ill upon her? Well, not really something bad, just something boring.

They didn't speak about much else until she left, the sky moving heavily. It was blanketed in a darkened gray and as she walked out to her car, it began to rain.

It would storm for the rest of the day and well into the next few days.

The gods were crying and she would only realize later that they were indeed weeping for her. 

AUTHOR'S NOTE━━chapter 5!!! ahh!!! i DONT LIKE IT!!! idk idk don't like it

definitely feels just like a filler.....except for the first part. i hope you guys liked it anyway!!!!! we're getting closer to real tvd plotlines :))))

vote/comment and maybe....maybe someone (colette) will get a kiss from someone (nik)