gilbert boy ▪ tvd [completed]

|t h r e e|

Charlie was beginning to get frustrated with this town. He checked every shop, every building he could, every nook and cranny in the woods (and in the process ruined a lovely pair of shoes), but there was no sign of Elijah anywhere. He was also right when he said there was nothing to do; however, he did find a quaint little book shop that caught his eye. It was silent as he opened the door, save for the bell chiming softly.

An older lady was sitting at the main desk, and she was quick to send him a warm smile in greeting. He returned it before he slipped past the desk and shuffled in between the shelves, scanning books as he dragged his finger along the worn spines.

The classics had always been his favorite. It was like getting taken to a whole other time that felt so foreign and alien. He also had a knack for history; seeing as Elijah lived through everything, he had a living, breathing history book to teach him everything he could ever know.

He spotted the spine of a worn copy of Great Expectations, and his lips quirked up as he began pulling it from the shelf. All of a sudden, a few more were pushed through, and they fell into his chest before they pathetically hit the carpeted floor. He wanted to snap at the person that had made the mess, but his words were caught in his throat when he caught sight of the same blonde from before.

Her blue eyes seemed like two sapphire crystals that practically glowed from the warm light coming in from the front windows. "Hello, again," He smiled as the two of them bent down and began collecting the fallen books. His eyes looked to the titles that had fallen, and he was pleasantly surprised to see some of his favorites: To Kill a Mockingbird, The Great Gatsby, 1984, The Catcher in the Rye, Frankenstein, and Of Mice and Men.

"I'm sorry," She blushed as she looked up from the floor, struggling to maintain eye contact with his chocolate orbs that drew her in. "I was looking for something, and when I pushed one, they all fell."

"You're quite alright; these seem to be just the books I was looking for." He smiled as they stood up, their eyes not breaking contact until she ripped her eyes away as if she had just committed a crime. He enjoyed the way she seemed to blush like a schoolgirl around him, looking shy and soft. "I'm Charlie."

She looked down at his hand and blinked, almost as if she didn't know what she was supposed to do with it. "Oh, right!" She giggled awkwardly, clearing her throat slightly. "I'm Caroline."

He brought her hand up to his lips, gently pressing a kiss to her knuckles as he stared up into her eyes. Her eyes followed his movements like she couldn't believe her eyes. Why did he have to be so perfect? She swallowed harshly as she slipped her daintier hand from his much larger one. His lean frame practically towered over her, and she thought her undead heart might beat right out of her chest.

"Well, Caroline, it was a pleasure running into you again." He gently grabbed the books from her hands and placed them back on the shelf in from of him before he smiled down at her. "Maybe I'll see you around town?"

She nodded her head absentmindedly as she watched him hum and walk over to the main desk, paying for the stack of books she knocked into his chest. As he walked out, he glanced back one last time to see her standing in the same spot, a deep blush beginning to blossom on her cheeks.

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The more Charlie walked around this town, the more he began to notice how people seemed to stare at him, their mouths open in shock. He was walking across the town square, entirely out of his wits, when he used his last resort. He pulled out his cellphone and clicked on the contact he knew by heart.

He pressed his phone to his ear as he stopped at a bench, crossing his legs as he basked in the warm sun. It rang a few times before it went straight to voicemail. Elijah always advised Charlie not to call him when he was out on business, but when had Charlie ever followed Elijah's rules.