𝟏• 𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐎𝐑𝐈𝐆𝐈𝐍𝐀𝐋 𝐇𝐄𝐑𝐄𝐓𝐈𝐂 | 𝐓𝐕𝐃 ✓

𝐓𝐖𝐄𝐍𝐓𝐘 𝐅𝐎𝐔𝐑

"OH, LOOK AT YOU," AURELIA EYES DARTED TO THE source of the infamously cocky, charming voice of Damon Salvatore, who sauntered over to her as she leaned against the bar—that did not serve alcohol at a high school prom—with her face on her hand. "All by your lonesome. Without a date. That you could have had if only—"

A small glare in his direction made him pause for a moment and clear his throat. "If you came here to gloat, I'm really not in the mood, Damon." She mumbled, eyes downcast to her mocktail.

"Because I was right when I told you to go for it, grab Stefan and give him a big kiss,and yet, you declined my idea so rudely—you know, it's no fun if you react to my comments acting all depressed, right?" Damon found himself enjoying his own humor less and less in that moment as he watched Aurelia's face grow dimmer by the second. "Shit, you aren't really acting, are you?"

"Really, really... not in the mood." She responded, frown growing.

"Sorry." He mumbled, now feeling insensitive to Aurelia's occasional display of emotion. "Wanna talk about it?" He had to lean his head over the bar table slightly to get a look at her face, hoping that she'd show him more than just the side—that too, partially obscured by her hand. "Aureliaaaaa." He sang softly, a desperate smile poking at his cheeks in an attempt to lift her spirits.

"Go ask your brother." She spat, though not out of hatred or anger—Damon had to blink a few times when he heard disappointment in her tone. "He's busy dancing with your girlfriend."

"Oh, that?" His eyes fell on the pair not too far away, near the center of all the couples on the dance floor. "Well, that's just—you know—him trying to strategize and convince her to turn her emotions on again." A small scoff from her made him frown in confusion at the puzzling blonde. "What—are you jealous or something?"

When Aurelia hesitated to answer, his eyes widened. "...no." Her little mumble was far too quickly spoken to be the truth—and when she looked over at Damon, his expression made her panic internally. "Damon, no—"

"Oh my God." He said, and she knew she was screwed. "Aurelia Parker in a state of seething jealousy. I never thought I'd see the day—"

"—'seething' is a bit—"

"I know I was teasing you and my brother earlier today for the heck of it, but you really like him, don't you?" His question made Aurelia smack him on the chest once. "Oh, come on, I saw the two of you back in the day, and you're not going to let me know about the gossip? Me? The only person who actually witnessed your cheesy romance?"

"I don't know what's happening." Aurelia was clearly avoiding eye contact with Damon. "I knew I had feelings for him, but I didn't know it was this bad, either—"

"You simp." Damon poked her in the shoulder, ignoring the death glare she shot at him immediately. "You're absolutely adorable. Why didn't you tell me sooner?" And when she shot him a pointed look at the obvious answer for that, he muttered a quiet 'ah.' "Well, what's stopping you from telling him about it? You're smart enough to know he feels the same way."

"Correction: I'm smart enough to think that." Aurelia replied, voice low and still full of disappointment as she stirred the drink. "I'm not certain. And besides, I don't want to be. Nothing good's gonna come out of it."

"And why the hell not?"

"Damon," There was something of a bitter laugh in her voice when she said his name after a few moments, finally turning entirely to look at him. "Look at me." Damon's eyebrows furrowed at the sudden statement, head tilting in confusion. "Don't you think I've noticed the way my cheeks are hollowing out slowly?"