Stefan was a complete gentleman compared to his brother. Not that Damon didn't attend to certain formalities, but not all of them. Katherine gave him a gentle smile as he greeted her. "Better now," she said coyly. "To think, in the days that I have been here, I've barely seen you around. Whatever have you been up to Surreptitious Stefan?"
Her eyes studied the young, handsome man. Okay, so she claimed to be only a year younger than him but truthfully, she was much older. One good thing about being a vampire was eternal youth and beauty. Though, it did of course have it's bad, too. She just hadn't been left with a choice. It was to die while she had a vampire's blood in her or die as a sacrifice never to return to life. This was much better, if lonely. Maybe it didn't have to be. The only thing was that she had to see how Stefan really felt about her. If he felt the same way she did.
She already knew Damon was attached to her. She had been carrying on with him since her arrival, but Damon was for fun. Stefan, she was convinced was the real thing. "And you? How have you been?"
When Katherine told him her day was better after she'd seen him, Stefan felt his heart skip a beat. Yes, he knew that Damon had been spending a great deal of time with Katherine, but Stefan couldn't tell if his brother truly liked her or was being a flirt and just having fun, as usual. His brother was an incorrigible flirt. Damon always seemed to attract the women. Stefan, on the other hand, seemed to be a bit too quiet and studious for most of those same women. Stefan was nothing if not devoted when he fell for someone. He felt a twinge of guilt as he contemplated spending more time with KAtherine, but really, Damon had made no claim on her as yet. Besides, if she were truly interested in Damon, would she be seeking him, Stefan, out?
At her comment of him not being around, Stefan smiled shyly and ducked his head for a moment. He looked back up at her and smiled. "Oh, a little of this and that. Father has me doing things for him. When I'm not helping him, I've been focusing on my studies and my journal. My life has had nothing too exciting to happen as of late."
When he met her eyes, his breath caught for a moment. Her beauty held him captivated. Katherine was so unlike the other women here in Mystic Falls. He couldn't quite pinpoint it, but that added edge of mystery only made her more intriguing to him. So caught up in his thoughts, Stefan almost didn't realize that Katherine had asked him another question. He pulled himself back to the present and tried to focus.
"I am glad to hear that you are well, Miss Katherine. I am fine." He couldn't resist smiling at her again. "Lovely day we are having, isn't it? WOuld you fancy a stroll?" he asked her, offering his arm.
It was true that Damon had tried to charm her, and she would be lying if she said she wasn't flattered by it, but it was still Stefan she had her sights set on. Though, she hadn't exactly doe anything to dissuade Damon, either. She'd carry on with him for a while, until she got bored with him, then she would end things and take Stefan for herself. But there was no rule that said she couldn't have both of them in the meantime. There was really no telling how long it would take. She could have fun with them for a while, after all. When one had an eternity to live, time was really nothing. Maybe she would give them both eternity.
"Maybe something exciting will happen soon," she said giving him a mischievous smile accompanied by a wink. Actually, she could guarantee that. She wasn't the only vampire living in Mystic Falls, by now there were quite a few. Katherine's dear friend Pearl and her daughter Annabelle were among them--vampires that she had personally sired during the Revolutionary War.
As a matter of fact, I would," she replied, her smile now being a softer one as she linked her arm with his. "Show me the places you like." She'd already toured the property, and the town, with Damon, but now she wanted to see it with Stefan. Two different people can give a person an entirely different outlook. Maybe that was why she was so interested in both.
When Katherine took his arm, Stefan felt a spark inside him. If he weren't careful, he could very, very easily lose his head, not to mention his heart. Would that be a bad thing? Stefan decided to dwell on that later, as he wanted to focus on the present, and specifically, the gorgeous brunette currently linking arms with him.
"I will be happy too, M-Miss Katherine," Stefan said. Out of habit, he almost called her "ma'am". Damn Southern upbringing. He didn't think Katherine would much appreciate that, especially since she was most likely even younger than he was. He quickly continued, trying to cover. "I enjoy walking this property, especially back behind the house. There are a lot of trees, and I love to sit under them and just read or study. It can be so peaceful." He walked her around his family's property, pointing out various things as they went.
At her comment, he smiled. "I truly hope something exciting happens. I want more than what I'm currently doing. Father, I'm sure, is already annoyed with my reading and studying as it is, but I can't help it. This is who I am." He shrugged. "Maybe I'm expecting too much. Damon doesn't seem to have a lack of excitement in his life." Perhaps that could be due to his more outgoing nature though...
When they reached the edge of the Salvatore property, Stefan looked at Katherine. "Would you like to walk past the property, perhaps into town?" He hoped that she would want to stay with him. He yearned to know more about her and to spend more time in her company. There was just something so fascinating about her...
Katherine listened as Stefan told her about what he liked to do on the property. It sounded very much like him, and of course was very different than his brother, but she had known that. She had expected it. She liked it. "That sounds nice," she replied, giving him a sweet smile. The trees, for people like her, could provide cover. A safe place to hide while feeding. Where no one would know that she wasn't mortal.
However, with Stefan, she didn't intend to feed on him. Well, not to kill anyway. She did plan to make him like her, but this was a delicate process. He didn't even know what she was yet, she would have to time that revelation well. And she would probably have to compel him. Unless he surprised her. She had already bitten Damon. He had accepted it with no compulsion. He wanted to be like her, and in time he very well might be. Stefan, however, was more innocent. That might work to her disadvantage.
"Well, now that I'm here, Sweet Stefan, I will promise you excitement," she told him brightly. She leaned toward him and gave him a kiss on his cheek. "It's true," she answered with a shrug. "Damon makes his own excitement." She tilted her head, her eyes lighting up. "That just means we can make our own."
"I would love to," she told him when he asked if she would like to walk into town with him. She did want to monopolize his time. She wanted to get to know him. She needed to. It was the only way to pick her timing.
Katherine's sweet smile melted him inside. Usually, he was pretty level-headed when it came to women. In fact, he was usually too into his journal or studies to pay much attention, and with his innocent nature, (well, more innocent than his brother), he tended to miss a lot of cues and flirting that women bestowed upon him. He was a true Southern gentleman, in every sense of the word. With Katherine, though, he definitely didn't miss the smile she aimed at him. Part of him was a little thrown, as he had thought she was more into his brother, but part of him felt beyond flattered, not to mention hopeful that something was brewing between the two of them. He was glad that she liked how he spent his time. Usually, women dismissed him as too studious and went more for the type of guy like his brother. They *always* seemed to like Damon more than him.
When Katherine kissed him on the cheek, Stefan knew he was in very real danger of losing his heart to her. The light touch of her soft lips against his cheek sent butterflies alight in his stomach. He raised his eyes to meet hers, feeling himself get swept away into her world as she did so.
He had gotten momentarily distracted by her eyes, and he wished for nothing more than to spend hours gazing into them. The thought of her soft lips pressed gently against his was almost too much for him to bear. Oh, yeas, he had fallen for Katherine, that was for sure. briefly, he wondered what his brother would say.
Realizing that Katherine had been speaking as his thought ran away from him, he hurried to respond, lest she think he was bored or something. "Aye, that Damon does," he replied to her. As they walked towards town, Stefan wondered what she had meant by her other remark.
Deciding to be bold and flirt a little, Stefan gave Katherine a not-so-innocent smile. Her promising excitement only made his heart pound. Outside, though he tried to keep his runaway feelings in check, just in case she was more interested in Damon. "And just what kind of excitement did you have in mind, m'lady?" He asked. "What kinds of things do you like to do for fun?" he inquired.
Katherine had suspected that Stefan would be the more difficult one to gain his affections, he was the more cautious one. He was the quieter one who would naturally miss most of her cues. Damon, on the other hand, had given up his heart all too quickly. Already, it was bordering on an obsession and if she had to admit it, it was becoming quite annoying. Not that she would admit it, yet. A part of her enjoyed having someone so willing to answer her beck and call. She could continue playing with him while she worked on Stefan. The best part was that she knew Damon wouldn't tell Stefan about them, and he didn't even need to be compelled. He would do as she asked. Of his own free will. She wasn't sure if Stefan would be so willing when it got to that point.
She could tell that Stefan was distracted, but as intensely as he was looking at her, she wasn't at all offended. Why should she be? He was distracted by her. Yes, she would be able to win his love, and maybe it wouldn't be as hard as she had initially thought.
She gave him a mischievous smile, her eyes still glinting with excitement. "Why don't you come by the carriage house tonight and I will show you," she replied teasingly. Was it too soon for this? She didn't know, but she was going to try anyway.
Stefan could only hope that Katherine liked him more than his brother. Still, Damon always won the girl, so Stefan didn't want to lose himself just yet...although that resolution was getting harder and harder to keep with every second he passed in Katherine's presence. Would it be so bad, though? Always, Stefan was so guarded, so careful, and he always thought everything out. In matters of the heart, he was woefully inexperienced, and, as he was quickly finding out, they were not so easily guided by a proper plan. Still, Stefan resolved to try to not rush headlong into potential heartbreak. Even though he was falling, he tried to keep an element of control, at least until he knew for sure that Katherine wanted him, not Damon. Katherine was still a distraction, albeit a beautiful one. As he gazed into her eyes, he couldn't deny the fact that he was falling in love with her. Before he knew where he stood with Katherine, though, he at least tried to mask that, somewhat, knowing he wasn't fooling anyone.
When she smiled at him, Stefan felt his heart melt. The excitement in her eyes started Stefan's heart pounding, and he grinned, excited. At her invitation, Stefan's heart skipped a beat. Not wanting to seem shy, Stefan met her eyes and nodded.
"I would love to. I would be more than happy to meet you, Sweet One," he told her as he gently touched her cheek. He couldn't wait to find out what she had planned. "Would 8 o'clock be a good time to meet?" He asked her.
Katherine was quite pleased when Stefan accepted her invitation. She had plans for that night, the least of which involved getting to know one another much more intimately. And if she thought he handled that well, that might be the moment she revealed herself to him. That was how it had happened with Damon, yes, the elder Salvatore brother already knew, and he took it quite well. He was already talking about becoming like her and having her teach him her ways, and while that was her plan, he simply wasn't the one she really wanted.
"Eight would be fine," she told him, she lifted her head toward his and brushed his lips ever-so-lightly. "I assure you, you won't be disappointed," she said softly before pulling away without kissing him. There would be plenty of that later and when they were in a far more private location.
She only hoped that he would take things well. She didn't want to use any sort of compulsion on him, and Damon's willingness gave her a little bit of hope. Maybe not everyone here would be afraid of those like her if they only got to know them first. She knew that Jonathan Gilbert was falling for Pearl, so she wasn't the only one finding a human love. If people turned on them, it could be disastrous for many.
Stefan breathed in deeply, letting Katherine's intoxicating scent flow through him. Goodness, she smelled wonderful! When she brushed his lips, he felt a spark in him that ran through his body like fire. He wondered what it would feel like when he finally did get to kiss her, assuming that would actually happen. Her statement about him not being disappointed left him tongue-tied for a moment. He took a moment to collect himself, almost shaken as to how much she was affecting him.
"I-I look forward to it, then, and eight O'clock cannot come soon enough," he told her. How he wished it were eight now! Part of him wondered at what the plans would be, while the other part felt amazed that she was picking him and not Damon. Usually it were Stefan that was being left by a woman for Damon, not the other way around.
Inwardly, Stefan wondered just how Damon would react when he found out about Stefan and Katherine. True, at this point, nothing had happened, but how he wished it would! Resolutely, Stefan decided to try and put that worry out of his mind. He would deal with it when the subject came up, if it ever did. Not that this was something that could easily be kept secret...
He looked deep into Katherine's eyes, almost getting lost in their depths. "Can you give me a hint as to what you have planned?" He asked with a smile.
Katherine heard him stammer, and she kept the smile to herself at that. She had Stefan hooked and she knew it. And honestly, she couldn't wait for eight herself. Tonight, she was going to make a move. How much of one would depend on his reactions. If he seemed too skittish, she would hold off on showing her fangs and maybe even sex depending on how bad. But by the end of the night, he would at least know that she wanted him.
Not that sex always mattered to her. It really hadn't with Damon, and in over 400 years of life, it really hadn't mattered ever. Stefan was one of those rare people that she would never have met had her life been different. Had she not been the Petrova doppelganger whose sole purpose in life was to break the Night and Day Curse. Or even if she had gotten killed in the sacrifice rather than hanging herself with Rose's blood in her system.
Some things came in small blessings. She spent her entire life on the run, and she already knew she would have to leave Mystic Falls soon, but at least she got to experience something real, even if it wouldn't be forever. No. It would be forever. It would be for eternity. She'd turn him and his brother, then she would come back for both of them.
"Now that would take the fun out of it," Katherine told him coyly. "You'll know everything soon enough." And she did mean everything. She meant things that he couldn't even imagine. At least not until he saw them for himself.
Her eyes studied the young, handsome man. Okay, so she claimed to be only a year younger than him but truthfully, she was much older. One good thing about being a vampire was eternal youth and beauty. Though, it did of course have it's bad, too. She just hadn't been left with a choice. It was to die while she had a vampire's blood in her or die as a sacrifice never to return to life. This was much better, if lonely. Maybe it didn't have to be. The only thing was that she had to see how Stefan really felt about her. If he felt the same way she did.
She already knew Damon was attached to her. She had been carrying on with him since her arrival, but Damon was for fun. Stefan, she was convinced was the real thing. "And you? How have you been?"
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At her comment of him not being around, Stefan smiled shyly and ducked his head for a moment. He looked back up at her and smiled. "Oh, a little of this and that. Father has me doing things for him. When I'm not helping him, I've been focusing on my studies and my journal. My life has had nothing too exciting to happen as of late."
When he met her eyes, his breath caught for a moment. Her beauty held him captivated. Katherine was so unlike the other women here in Mystic Falls. He couldn't quite pinpoint it, but that added edge of mystery only made her more intriguing to him. So caught up in his thoughts, Stefan almost didn't realize that Katherine had asked him another question. He pulled himself back to the present and tried to focus.
"I am glad to hear that you are well, Miss Katherine. I am fine." He couldn't resist smiling at her again. "Lovely day we are having, isn't it? WOuld you fancy a stroll?" he asked her, offering his arm.
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"Maybe something exciting will happen soon," she said giving him a mischievous smile accompanied by a wink. Actually, she could guarantee that. She wasn't the only vampire living in Mystic Falls, by now there were quite a few. Katherine's dear friend Pearl and her daughter Annabelle were among them--vampires that she had personally sired during the Revolutionary War.
As a matter of fact, I would," she replied, her smile now being a softer one as she linked her arm with his. "Show me the places you like." She'd already toured the property, and the town, with Damon, but now she wanted to see it with Stefan. Two different people can give a person an entirely different outlook. Maybe that was why she was so interested in both.
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"I will be happy too, M-Miss Katherine," Stefan said. Out of habit, he almost called her "ma'am". Damn Southern upbringing. He didn't think Katherine would much appreciate that, especially since she was most likely even younger than he was. He quickly continued, trying to cover. "I enjoy walking this property, especially back behind the house. There are a lot of trees, and I love to sit under them and just read or study. It can be so peaceful." He walked her around his family's property, pointing out various things as they went.
At her comment, he smiled. "I truly hope something exciting happens. I want more than what I'm currently doing. Father, I'm sure, is already annoyed with my reading and studying as it is, but I can't help it. This is who I am." He shrugged. "Maybe I'm expecting too much. Damon doesn't seem to have a lack of excitement in his life." Perhaps that could be due to his more outgoing nature though...
When they reached the edge of the Salvatore property, Stefan looked at Katherine. "Would you like to walk past the property, perhaps into town?"
He hoped that she would want to stay with him. He yearned to know more about her and to spend more time in her company. There was just something so fascinating about her...
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However, with Stefan, she didn't intend to feed on him. Well, not to kill anyway. She did plan to make him like her, but this was a delicate process. He didn't even know what she was yet, she would have to time that revelation well. And she would probably have to compel him. Unless he surprised her. She had already bitten Damon. He had accepted it with no compulsion. He wanted to be like her, and in time he very well might be. Stefan, however, was more innocent. That might work to her disadvantage.
"Well, now that I'm here, Sweet Stefan, I will promise you excitement," she told him brightly. She leaned toward him and gave him a kiss on his cheek. "It's true," she answered with a shrug. "Damon makes his own excitement." She tilted her head, her eyes lighting up. "That just means we can make our own."
"I would love to," she told him when he asked if she would like to walk into town with him. She did want to monopolize his time. She wanted to get to know him. She needed to. It was the only way to pick her timing.
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When Katherine kissed him on the cheek, Stefan knew he was in very real danger of losing his heart to her. The light touch of her soft lips against his cheek sent butterflies alight in his stomach. He raised his eyes to meet hers, feeling himself get swept away into her world as she did so.
((TBC shortly...))
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Realizing that Katherine had been speaking as his thought ran away from him, he hurried to respond, lest she think he was bored or something. "Aye, that Damon does," he replied to her. As they walked towards town, Stefan wondered what she had meant by her other remark.
Deciding to be bold and flirt a little, Stefan gave Katherine a not-so-innocent smile. Her promising excitement only made his heart pound. Outside, though he tried to keep his runaway feelings in check, just in case she was more interested in Damon. "And just what kind of excitement did you have in mind, m'lady?" He asked. "What kinds of things do you like to do for fun?" he inquired.
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She could tell that Stefan was distracted, but as intensely as he was looking at her, she wasn't at all offended. Why should she be? He was distracted by her. Yes, she would be able to win his love, and maybe it wouldn't be as hard as she had initially thought.
She gave him a mischievous smile, her eyes still glinting with excitement. "Why don't you come by the carriage house tonight and I will show you," she replied teasingly. Was it too soon for this? She didn't know, but she was going to try anyway.
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When she smiled at him, Stefan felt his heart melt. The excitement in her eyes started Stefan's heart pounding, and he grinned, excited. At her invitation, Stefan's heart skipped a beat. Not wanting to seem shy, Stefan met her eyes and nodded.
"I would love to. I would be more than happy to meet you, Sweet One," he told her as he gently touched her cheek. He couldn't wait to find out what she had planned. "Would 8 o'clock be a good time to meet?" He asked her.
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"Eight would be fine," she told him, she lifted her head toward his and brushed his lips ever-so-lightly. "I assure you, you won't be disappointed," she said softly before pulling away without kissing him. There would be plenty of that later and when they were in a far more private location.
She only hoped that he would take things well. She didn't want to use any sort of compulsion on him, and Damon's willingness gave her a little bit of hope. Maybe not everyone here would be afraid of those like her if they only got to know them first. She knew that Jonathan Gilbert was falling for Pearl, so she wasn't the only one finding a human love. If people turned on them, it could be disastrous for many.
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"I-I look forward to it, then, and eight O'clock cannot come soon enough," he told her. How he wished it were eight now! Part of him wondered at what the plans would be, while the other part felt amazed that she was picking him and not Damon. Usually it were Stefan that was being left by a woman for Damon, not the other way around.
Inwardly, Stefan wondered just how Damon would react when he found out about Stefan and Katherine. True, at this point, nothing had happened, but how he wished it would! Resolutely, Stefan decided to try and put that worry out of his mind. He would deal with it when the subject came up, if it ever did. Not that this was something that could easily be kept secret...
He looked deep into Katherine's eyes, almost getting lost in their depths. "Can you give me a hint as to what you have planned?" He asked with a smile.
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Not that sex always mattered to her. It really hadn't with Damon, and in over 400 years of life, it really hadn't mattered ever. Stefan was one of those rare people that she would never have met had her life been different. Had she not been the Petrova doppelganger whose sole purpose in life was to break the Night and Day Curse. Or even if she had gotten killed in the sacrifice rather than hanging herself with Rose's blood in her system.
Some things came in small blessings. She spent her entire life on the run, and she already knew she would have to leave Mystic Falls soon, but at least she got to experience something real, even if it wouldn't be forever. No. It would be forever. It would be for eternity. She'd turn him and his brother, then she would come back for both of them.
"Now that would take the fun out of it," Katherine told him coyly. "You'll know everything soon enough." And she did mean everything. She meant things that he couldn't even imagine. At least not until he saw them for himself.
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