The familiar roads of Mystic Falls rolled past them until Aiken's Porsche finally stopped in front of a house.
"You live here?" Elizabeth asked as she stepped out.
"Yep," Aiken replied simply, shutting off the engine.
He walked her to the entrance, fishing the keys out of his pocket.
"Aiken, shouldn't we wait for Ala—" she began, but a loud honk from behind cut her off.
A yellow taxi had pulled up right next to the Porsche. Out stepped Alan, dragging a large suitcase from the trunk.
"Thanks for the ride," he told the driver before immediately stomping toward them.
"You bastard!" Alan barked as soon as he was in range. "Kicking me out of my own Porsche just for a woman you've just known! I'm your father! She should've been the one taking the cab!"
"How old are you, Dad?" Aiken countered dryly. "She's a woman — you should show some courtesy."
Alan froze mid-step, flustered. "Then why didn't you take the cab? That's my car!"
"I'm seventeen," Aiken said flatly, slotting the key into the door. "Not wise enough to think that far ahead."
"You little— Come here!" Alan growled, hauling his suitcase in behind them. He lunged forward, trying to land a punch, but Aiken sidestepped, turning toward the kitchen without even looking.
"Ah, fuck!" Alan winced, retreating his fist after having hit the air.
Elizabeth chuckled softly, following them inside.
"It feels good, doesn't it, Elizabeth?" Aiken said suddenly, his tone quieter, warmer.
"W-What?" She blinked at him, a little caught off guard.
"To have a family," he said, eyes carrying a rare softness.
Elizabeth's lips curved into a small, genuine smile. "…Yeah. It really does."
...
Morning light filtered faintly through the curtains when Aiken's eyes opened. He instinctively reached for his phone on the coffee table.
6:00 a.m. — right on schedule.
He pushed himself up from the couch, stretching his shoulders. Elizabeth was still in his bedroom; he'd insisted she take the bed until he could arrange her a proper accommodation. He and his father had shared the sofas.
Snore!
A loud, rumbling noise vibrated across the living room. Aiken glanced to the other couch — Alan was sprawled out like a man without a single care in the world, one arm dangling off the side.
Shaking his head, Aiken padded to the bathroom. He washed up, ran a toothbrush over his teeth, then grabbed the clothes he'd set aside the night before. Shorts, a simple t-shirt — enough for his usual morning run.
Running was part of his routine. He liked staying sharp, his body conditioned.
He was slipping on his sneakers near the door when a voice drifted behind him.
"Aiken?"
He turned. Elizabeth stood by the frame of his bedroom door, hair slightly messy from sleep. She wore one of his white oversized t-shirts, the hem brushing just high enough to reveal the smooth lines of her thighs.
"I'm going on a run," he said evenly.
"Oh…" she murmured, still waking up. "Okay then…"
"See you later, Ellie." He gave her a faint nod and slipped out the door.
Elizabeth blinked, the nickname lingering in her mind.
Ellie?
She touched her cheek without realizing. Is that... a nickname?
...
The morning crowd shuffled toward the school entrance. Elena, Stefan, and Bonnie walked together, Stefan's arm snug around Elena's waist. They traded quiet smiles, lost in their own little world.
Beside them, Bonnie trailed slightly behind, her expression less bright.
"Bonnie, come on," Elena coaxed. "The Founder's Party isn't that bad. You'll have us with you—we'll have a lot of fun."
"Yeah…" Bonnie muttered. "It's not bad… only when you actually have a boyfriend but are forced to be another couple's third wheel."
Elena gave her a knowing look. "Why don't you call Aiken then? Maybe he'll return just for you."
Bonnie shook her head. "No, I don't know even where he is, he might be too far away to make it in time. And... I don't want to disturb him."
"But he hasn't called you in seven days, Bonnie," Elena said gently.
Bonnie sighed. "You're right. Maybe I should give him a call." She fished her phone from her bag, thumb hovering over the screen. "I'm… kind of worried—"
Her words cut off with a startled gasp as two strong arms suddenly swept her off the ground.
"Who—" She started, then her eyes widened.
"Aiken!"
He grinned up at her, holding her effortlessly by the waist.
"Hi, Bonnie," he said, setting her back down.
She didn't waste a second before kissing him, ignoring the glances from passing students. "Why didn't you call me even once?" she demanded softly, still close enough for their foreheads to nearly touch.
"I was… busy," Aiken replied.
Her tone softened. "Did you find your father?"
A slight pause, then a sigh. "Yeah. I found him."
Bonnie's smile bloomed, and she kissed him again. "I'm so happy for you."
"He's staying at my place," Aiken added. "Oh, and a friend I met in Chicago is there too."
"A friend? Who's he? I bet he's someone like you," she teased.
Aiken smirked faintly. "You could say that… more or less."
"And Chicago? You were there—" But before she could press, he kissed her again.
"Ahem—hi, Aiken," Elena interjected from the side.
"Hi, Elena." Aiken gave her a small wave without looking away from Bonnie.
"It's good to have you back," Stefan offered.
Aiken finally turned toward him, his expression sharpening into something unreadable. "You sure about that?"
Stefan held his gaze for half a second longer than he meant to—and felt an unexpected chill crawl up his spine. Aiken's vibes felt... darker than before. More dangerous.
To be continued...
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How was this chapter? Liked it?
Did you like Aiken and Bonnie's reunion? What do you think about Stefan's reaction to Aiken's "Are you sure?", does it keep true to their relationship?
Also, I started an new fic, "Tensura: The Gamer". It's just a fic about a guy who reincarnates in "That Time I Got Reincarnated As A Slime" with the powers of the webtoon "The Gamer".