Who: Stefan Salvatore & Katherine Pierce What: Running into each other, discussing vervain When: Recently Where: Downtown Huntington Beach Rating/Warnings: Low Status: Complete!
Downtown Huntington Beach was, at the very least, kinda cute - the oceanfront was there to take in, there were spots of art and culture, the pier (where she met her first serious boyfriend that left her with a bun in the oven) was within walking distance, and the eats and shopping werenât half bad, either. It hadnât changed much from when she hung around here in her younger years. Hitting up old places came with a nostalgia Katherine wasnât sure she welcomed. Itâs not like it brought a tear to her eye (those ducts were probably broken or had frozen over, cold heart and all), but it was just strange.
Nothing that a little light shopping could do, and she had stopped by some boutiques for locally crafted jewelry and to pick up a couple things from the Farmerâs Market. Then it was lunch in the form of juiced vegetables from a holistic health cafe that tasted like grass, but she had a figure to maintain and after gorging herself with chicken carbonara at a certain scientistâs abode, she needed a couple days of light eating.
Shopping totes by her feet (sheâd worn ankle boots today that lacked a killer heel, for practical purposes), she sipped her kale-and-whatever-else meal âtil that tint of auburn-colored Edward Cullen hair caught her eye.
What? Stefan did have the look. Wore it better than Robert Pattinsonâs gross ass, but still had it.
âYou, with the ass!â she called out, hands around her mouth to send her calling across. Heâd hear her fine, she was sure of it, with all those heightened vampire senses. Caroline and Elijah had spilled the beans on that. âStefan!â
Stefan was getting used to being a puppy daddy. It was something heâd never thought heâd be--a dad of any kind, really--but now that he and Bubbles had the pooch together, he found he was slipping into the role seamlessly. Though he could tell that LuLu was a little hesitant with him. Maybe it was some kind of smell or that his skin felt different, or some kind of other vampire thing, but LuLu could tell he was different. So he put in double the effort with the dog, taking her on walks and giving her treatsâŚ
Which was where he was when someone cat-called him. He wasnât going to turn, then he heard his name. And the voice was familiar. He broke into a grin as he turned. Man. It was still weird to see Katherine after all this time. And after the Dreams.
âHey,â he said, smiling brightly and giving the dogâs leash a little tug to turn her around. âWhat are you doing here?â
With two fingers in her mouth there was a wolf whistle too, because why the hell not - thatâs all she could do with him nowadays. Admire from afar and not touch. âHaving a date with myself,â Katherine answered with a smile, always sly, like she was up to something. Cross that cold, glacial heart that she was completely innocent this time around. Promise. âFancy seeing you here and what, did you start up a dog walking service?â
Or was that four-legged fluff his?
It was cute anyway, and she made a kissy noise in its general direction.
âTreat yoâself.â Stefan quoted the great Parks and Rec, but it sounded absolutely alien coming out of his mouth. The Edward Cullen-esque vampire wasnât supposed to be speaking in quotes from modern pop culture. It was absurd. He was still smiling, though, either unaware or ignoring how stupid he sounded saying it.
Stepping closer, he shook his head. âNo, this oneâs mine. Well, half mine. I saved her from a coyote whoâd killed her family, and wanted to give her to my girlfriend, but she canât have dogs at home. So LuLu lives with me.â He motioned to the dog.
It didnât help that Katherine actually caught the reference and the smile grew, more genuine. âWho named your dog?â she asked, not meaning to sound judgy but she was a little judgy, maybe. Truth be told she didnât mind animals. Most of the time they were better than people, but if they could keep the fur off her clothes then thatâd be great - otherwise sheâd be content in showering them with pets without them invading her lap.
She rubbed her fingers together (sometimes it gave the impression that humans had treats) to lure the pup over a little closer. It was unsurprising that Stefan played hero to her. He had the hair to fit the role. âWas it him, LuLu? At least itâs not a name like Poochie. Maybe you should think of moving in with your ladyfriend or viceversa, whatever.â
What a missed opportunity this Salvatore brother was for her. Katherine seemed to have more of those than she cared to admit, but she knew overall how her nature was - unrelenting, capricious, a wrecking ball of hearts, a storm most wouldnât survive.
Stefan chuckled at the name. Poochie. It was definitely not his style. Nor was LuLu, actually, but that had been Bubblesâ pick. Stefan wasnât really good at naming things. He probably would have named her Dog, or something, and then Anna would likely have re-named her something else. So, either way he wouldnât have named the dog.
âNo, that was my girlfriend.â He paused. âSheâs not really ready for a live-in situation. And Iâm not quite sure Iâm there, either.â It was a strange thing to admit, but after the words came out of Stefanâs mouth, he realized how true they were. âWeâve only been together about a year.â
âA yearâs commitment still sounds serious,â she remarked with her head cocked to the side, brunette curls falling from her shoulders. Then again, anything over a month sounded serious to Katherine nowadays. âIâm glad to see you though, because I do have a favor to ask -â
The spot next to her was patted. âItâs about vervain. And if youâve got any.â
âHey, itâs pretty serious,â Stefan said. âJust not⌠move-in serious.â He gave the dog a little more slack on her leash, then cleared his throat. Ah. So Katherine was Dreaming, was she? He glanced over at her, wondering how far those Dreams had gone, and what sorts of gifts sheâd already received from them. âYou need some?â He asked. Had he shown up in her Dreams yet?
âAs a precaution,â Katherine replied, leaning back with crossed legs. âI know what you are. I know what Damon is, Caroline, Elijah, Kol. I know Iâll be doomed to share the same fate at some point.â
Ever the practical, ever the one who started formulating plans ahead of time. Vervain in the system meant sheâd be safe from compulsion (should anyone even try it on her, and god fucking help them if they did), and thatâs how she built her immunity to it in the dreams - slow intake every day over a long, long period of time. âI figured someoneâs got a supply. Itâd be too risky not to.â
âI have a supply,â Stefan responded. Back before he vanished off the map, Severus Snape had given Caroline, Stefan and Lexi a few gifts. Cups that filled and refilled themselves with blood by magic, and bottles of vervain that did the same. âIâll make sure you get what you need.â He wanted to ask more questions, wanted to press for information--but if he remembered anything from his time with Katherine, that was a bad idea.
âYouâll let me know if things change for you?â He added, unable to help himself from asking just a little.
Certain topics were touchy with Katherine. Upcoming vampirism fell in the middle, strangely - did she want to have constant fantasies of tearing into throats with her teeth to satiate a carnal hunger? It definitely wasnât on the bucket list.
But she watched him, carefully, wondering if thereâd been any telltale sign that heâd changed from the human sheâd once entangled in bedsheets to something else. There wasnât. He looked like the Stefan she always knew; naturally a little more matured from the passing years, and still with that same gel-shaped hero hair.
âYou donât have to walk on eggshells with me,â she eventually answered. âYouâll know when it happens.â Her mouth curved into a smirk, a little dark. âIâve dreamt of dying, turning, three hundred years and counting on the run - my humanityâs on borrowed time. Iâll survive.â
Stefan nodded. He couldnât help the smile that tugged at the corner of his lips at that. Katherine was always one to speak her mind. He liked that about her. He liked that he didnât have to beat around the bush where she was concerned. It was refreshing.
âHave you reached the part with me in it?â He asked, trying (and failing) to sound nonchalant. Truth was, he was curious. And perhaps a little vain about the whole thing.
Funny. Damon had asked her the same thing not long ago. Turns out Katherine had made her rounds throughout her years, didnât she? And with the path she was trekking she was sure it wasnât anything good - the first emotions ever amplified upon her turning were fear, survival, and in turn it had helped honed that ruthlessly calculative personality.
Every ally made and every ally seduced were disposable if it got her that much farther away from Klaus.
âNope,â she said, but her expression made the switch to mischief. âYour brother asked me that too. And he made a comment saying how I was responsible for corrupting him. Do I get a turn with the Salvatore brothers there too?â
A hint that she may have done the dirty with his older brother at some point. Recently. Probably.
The Salvatore brothers had a lot in common, though neither would be happy to admit it. Stefan really didnât need to know about Katherine and Damon doing the dirty. He chuckled softly, arms folding across his chest. âThat sounds like Damon. Iâll make sure not to spoil it for you.â
The dog was busy sniffing (and chewing on?) some grass nearby. Stefan glanced down to make sure she wasnât ⌠pooping. Then he glanced back up at Katherine. âPromise youâll keep me posted when you get there?â
Katherineâs bottom lip stuck out in a fake pout. âAw, Stefan, it sounds like youâre worried.â A nice sentiment, but she wanted him rest assured that she had this - sort of. Cute act then dropped, she rolled her eyes. âBut fine, fine, I promise. Once the fangs come in for vamp puberty, youâll know.â
Thatâs something practical to say over texts, right? âBy the by, went vamp, want to get a blood cocktailâ?
âSounds good.â Stefan glanced down at the dog, then back up at her once more. It was really nice to see her. Not only was she pleasant on the eyes, but it reminded him of how things were a long time ago--before being sent overseas, before the Dreams started. He gave her one more soft smile. âI should probably get back to her walk. But⌠itâs good to see you.â
That was a smile to die for. Stefanâs mouth used to render her speechless, and she wouldnât lie and say she didnât miss him in that regard - he was a hell of a lover, an even better boyfriend.
But things changed. That chance disappeared long ago.
âMissing you already,â Katherine chuckled, winking playfully, and she even leaned forward to give Lulu a scritch on the chin. âYou too, cutie.â