Avery Salvatore awoke with a gasp. Her body lurched forwards into a sitting position, her eyes adjusting to the lighting in her room in the Boarding House. Zach Salvatore breathed a sigh of relief as he saw his daughter awake and breathing.

"Dad?" Avery's voiced sounded rough, and Zach automatically handed her a glass of water which she took gratefully.

"Please don't ever scare me like that again." Zach whispered.

"I'm sorry," Avery cleared her throat. "I should've told you they were getting bad again, but I didn't want to worry you. I realise now that that was a really dumb idea."

Avery laughed nervously, watching as her father's face creased in concern.

He let out a sigh, "You have no idea what terrible thoughts went through my head when Stefan walked through the door with you in his arms. I... I thought maybe one of them had hurt you. I felt like I had failed at my duty of your father. I'm meant to protect you, Avery, but I can't do that if you don't tell me what is going on in your life."

"I'm really sorry, Dad." Avery sighed, leaning forwards into her father's embrace.

"Just... please don't shut me out again," He mumbled into her hair, his arms wrapped securely around her. "I don't know what I would do if I ever lost you."

***

It was later that day when Stefan knocked on Avery's door. She looked up at the noise.

"Uh, hey." Avery greeted awkwardly.

"Hey..." Stefan trailed off, shifting awkwardly at the threshold of her room.

Avery watched the movement for a moment. She knew he could just walk right in, there was no invisible force keeping him out. He'd been invited into house way before she was even born. There was a beat of silence before Avery mumbled awkwardly, "You ... You can come in, you know. It's your house."

Stefan looked surprised, "Oh, I, uh... I know, um, that it's my house, but ... well you grew up here, and this is your room." Avery watched his face as he spoke, he seemed genuinely flustered for a moment.

"It's probably the only space you feel like my brother and I haven't infiltrated." Stefan continued. "I just, thought ..."

Sensing that Stefan would stutter for the next few minutes unless interrupted, she stepped in, "Well, yes, it's my room... but," She paused, wondering whether she would continue her train of thought. "I guess I've always just been waiting for you both to return, and take it back?"

Stefan opened his mouth but Avery cut him off, "Oh, God. I didn't mean that in a rude way, I just... I suppose I've never really considered it my own because Damon made it so very clear that Dad and I are only here out of the kindness of his heart." Her tone turned slightly bitter towards the end of her sentence.

Looking up, Avery was surprised at the expression of Stefan's face. He looked apologetic and almost, guilty?

"Avery, I'm really sorry if my actions have ever made you feel like that. That was never my intention, truly."

Avery shook her head, feeling a little awkward at the amostphere she had managed to create.

"I, um, it's fine," She laughed nervously. "Did you, uh, need something?"

Stefan shifted again, as if remembering what he originally came to her room for.

"Oh! Yes, uh, well I don't need anything, I was, uh, how's your head?" Stefan asked nervously, as he rubbed the back of his neck awkwardly. Avery found it odd the way that Stefan acted around her, as if she made him nervous or something. He could easily kill her in a second or less but he was mumbling like a lost child at her door.

Avery shrugged in response, "It's been better."

"I'm... I'm sorry I didn't catch you when you fell. You hit your head pretty hard."

Avery shrugged again, "Not your fault."

Stefan opened his mouth to speak, but Avery interrupted him, having a feeling the whole previous situation was about to repeat itself.

"Stefan, really, it's not your fault. I don't expect you to be there all of the time, I can handle these things on my own. I don't like to rely on other people, because I know they won't really be there when you need them the most. It's easier just to deal with things alone."

Stefan was analysing her face again, like she'd seen him do a lot recently.

"Please stop staring at me like I'm some fragile ornament." Avery huffed, suddenly annoyed. "This is what being human is like Stefan. Surely you remember getting scratched up when you were human."

"Of course I do, but I never smashed my head on the ground of a concrete car park in front of my bloodthirsty vampire ancestors."

Avery paused. Had the circumstances been different she might even had laughed at his comment. Instead, she huffed in response, "If you came here to make fun of me, please leave."

"No, that wasn't my intention. I figured that because Zach has put you on house arrest now would be the perfect opportunity to get to know each other."

She looked at him curiously, her head slightly tilted to the side.

"Dad put me on house arrest? For my safety? I'm 17 years old and is he aware we live with vampires?" She shook her head. "Why the sudden interest, anyway?"

Stefan walked over to her desk and sat down on the chair besides it, appearing to finally remember that she had said he could come in. He shrugged before replying with, "I figured I should get to know the girl who was forced to open her home to her unwanted vampire houseguests."

Avery hummed in response, "Okay, Stefan Salvatore, what do you want to know?"

***

"When were you born?" Avery asked, she was sat crossed-legged and lent up against the head board of her bed.

"November 1st 1846." Stefan replied.

"Wow... So that makes you, what? A hundred and ... sixty-something years old?" Avery laughed as Stefan nodded.

"Hm. So you're asthmatic?" Stefan asked.

"Oh wow, not the most interesting question in the world, Stefan, but yes I am." Avery let out a laugh.

"How'd you find that out?" Stefan inquired.

Avery grimaced at the memory, embarrassed, "Oh jeez. Uh, I passed out whilst running track at school. I can't run for that long without feeling suffocated."

Stefan frowned as Avery covered her face in embarrassment, laughing awkwardly as she continued, "Apparently the rest of my class just carried on running and moved into a different lane to get around me."

"Didn't anyone help you?" Stefan asked, frown still on his face.

Avery smiled slightly, "Yeah. Jeremy Gilbert did... quit frowning, you'll get wrinkles."

Stefan laughed at her, "I've looked the same way for over one hundred years, let me frown in peace. What did he do?" He asked.

"He was at the back of the group and didn't understand why everyone kept switching lanes. He was the only one who stopped to see if I was okay. He, uh, had to carry me to the nurses' office and everything."

"Do you talk anymore?" Stefan asked, not recalling seeing the two actually communicate with each other.

"No. He changed after his parents died. He got into the wrong crowd, but everyone deals with grief differently."

"Why are you always by yourself?" Stefan asked curiously.

Avery shrugged, "Jeez, Stefan. Way to call me a loner." Stefan looked like he was going to apologise but Avery cut him off. "I don't know. I don't mind it, I'm just a wallflower, I guess."

"Maybe we can go running together sometime?" Stefan smiled at her.

Avery smiled back, "Sure, Stefan. Not sure how I'm going to keep up, but as long as you don't laugh at me, I'm in. So... favourite era you've lived in?"

____

edited 22 April 2022

please vote and leave a comment :)

Just a quick filler chapter so you can see some interactions with Avery and Stefan :)