Chapter Text
Transfering to Whitmore College mid year had been trying. Every freshman had already found their friends, and you were dorming with a random girl who already had a serious boyfriend. Hence, she was never around. It was nice, basically having the room to yourself, but it was also lonely.
Being an art major, you were around people all the time, but you found you’d rather draw them than talk to them. It was easier that way. It was April, and it was getting just warm enough for people to convince themselves sitting outside was worth it. You’d picked a spot on the quad that you liked the best - a tree that let you lean against it as you surveyed the many happy people at the school.
One afternoon, you were drawing for an assignment. You were supposed to draw in your own style from a live model. The “your own style” part, you liked. You’d noticed your style only when you started to compare your work to the other students. You drew darker things, but also with a more mythical edge. You wanted everything you drew to be better than it was in the real world - because the real world just wasn’t magical enough. The other part, the live model part, you liked less. The teacher had clearly not taken into account anyone (you) who may not have made friends to ask for that, and so you’d chosen a handsome young man who was reading on a bench close to your tree.
You’d drawn his face and body and were now adding wings. They were coming out more angelic than you’d anticipated, but you went with it. Something about them seemed right on him. You were trying not to be obvious, and thought you were doing a good job of looking away nonchalantly whenever he glanced up at you. You were wrong. One moment, you had glanced up to look at the curve of his chin, the next you were drawing it, and then next you felt a change in the air beside you. Glancing up, you saw the man you’d just been drawing. His dark, deep set eyes were watching you closely. Words caught in your throat.
“Are you drawing me?” he asked.
It wasn’t accusatory, you could tell that much from the amused uptick of the corner of his mouth.
“Sorry,” you muttered anyway. “It’s for a class.”
“Don’t be sorry,” he laughed easily, his dark eyes brightening. “It’s really good.”
“You think?” you asked as he sat down next to you.
“I do,” he confirmed. “I’m Stefan,” he added. “Salvatore.”
You gave him your name as you shook his hand.
“Why the wings?” he asked.
“Oh,” you flushed. “I don’t know. I usually add a little bit of magic to my figures.”
“And you think I’m angelic?” he teased. You could tell this wasn’t his natural state. Not that you didn't believe he could be charming and funny, but you could tell he was pushing himself - perhaps the way you should be pushing yourself to actually talk to the people here.
“Maybe,” you managed a small smile.
“I haven’t seen you around before,” he noted.
“I just transferred here this semester,” you nodded. “Haven’t been around much.”
“Other than stalking and drawing in the quad,” he smirked.
“Right,” you laughed.
“You should come out with me tonight,” he said suddenly, standing up and extending his hand.
You packed up your stuff and took his hand. He helped you stand.
“My friends and I are going to some party the school’s throwing on the football field. Some welcoming of spring thing,” he shrugged. By his apathetic descriptions you gathered parties were not his thing any more than they were yours. “You can meet my friends. I can promise that Caroline will be a willing live model for you.”
“That would be great,” you laughed, relieved. “I need another one and stalking people only gives you so many options.”
Stefan brightened and nodded.
“Great,” he smiled. “Here’s my number,” he added, taking your pencil and writing it on the top part of your sketch. “Text me.”
“I will,” you promised.
He held your gaze a moment longer than necessary before adjusting his book bag strap and leaving you. Your first real interaction with a real human student, you thought. You mentally patted yourself on the back and smiled. He had been nice and charming, and you had been… not terrible. Not terrible enough to get invited somewhere at least.
You headed back to your dorm soon afterwards and picked out an outfit to wear that evening. You weren’t sure what the school would condone, so you grabbed your flask of bourbon and stuffed it into your jeans’ back pocket. You needed a little liquid courage for sure. Going from zero to a hundred socially was already feeling overwhelming. You had texted Stefan soon after he’d given you his number so he had yours. Even that act felt like a week’s worth of social interaction. After finishing up your drawing and eating a quick dinner, you got a text from Stefan asking where your dorm was so he could pick you up and the two of you could walk over together. You told him and he arrived exactly when he said he would.
You opened the door to see he hadn’t changed. He still wore flattering jeans and a t shirt. His hair was still perfectly coiffed and his amiable smile welcomed you.
“Hey,” he greeted.
“Hey,” you smiled, coming out and locking the door behind you.
“You look great,” he said. You blushed. You’d added a little makeup and changed into something marginally tighter fitting. Apparently those had been good changes.
“Thanks.”
He offered his arm to you like an old fashioned gentleman, and you took it gladly.
“So, here’s the brief: Caroline and Bonnie are my two friends you’ll be meeting tonight. We’re from the same home town. They’ve been best friends since forever and I managed to infiltrate them somehow,” he laughed. “But they were very welcoming to me and they will be with you, promise. We’ll just hang out, have a few drinks and if we get bored or whatever, we can leave. Sound good?”
You shot him a curious glance.
“What?” he asked.
“Am I really that anxious-looking?” you laughed.
He pressed his lips together as he smiled.
“Not looking, no,” he assured you. “I just kinda have a sixth sense for these things. I like a plan too.”
“I feel like people expect artists to be free spirited and exciting,” you sighed. “But my calendar is filled out for like every second of the day.”
“Caroline’s going to love you,” Stefan smirked, and the remark seemed to be mostly to himself.
Walking with Stefan was easy. He asked you a little bit about you at first. You told him your parents lived up north in Vermont, but traveled a lot, so you were often alone. You were going to ask him more about himself but you arrived at the field before you could do so.
Standing on the outskirts of a large mass of people were two women. The first you saw was a blonde with a bright smile and large blue eyes. The second was a shorter girl with short black hair and a relaxed stance. They spotted Stefan and waved.
“Ready?” he asked.
You just smiled and nodded.
“Hi!” the blonde said. “I’m Caroline, this is Bonnie. We’re so happy to meet you!”
The enthusiasm in her voice sounded genuine, though you weren’t sure what Stefan could have told them about you to warrant this reaction.
“It’s great to meet you too,” you smiled.
“So what’s the drink situation here?” Stefan asked.
You pulled the flask out of your back pocket and smiled sheepishly.
“I mean I came prepared.”
“Alright,” Bonnie laughed. “We like you already.”
You passed the flask around and Stefan seemed to be the only one who enjoyed it.
“Let’s go see if they have anything fruitier,” Caroline said.
The invitation was mostly to Bonnie, but you and Stefan followed anyway. This must not have been a school sponsored event after all, because there was plenty to drink and all ages had been invited. It didn't matter in the least to you, you were just happy to be here with people. And now that you were here, you noticed a few guys checking you out. Maybe it was the outfit - usually your clothes were paint-stained or super baggy. But it might have also been the confidence you felt walking with a group that actually wanted you there.
Regardless, you tensed up as you felt various drunk frat boys ogling you. Suddenly, you felt Stefan’s hand slide around your waist.
“Is this okay?” he whispered. “I noticed some dudes looking your way and you didn’t seem to thrilled about it. Maybe this will--”
“Yes,” you breathed. “Thank you.”
He smiled, satisfied. You weren’t sure how he could read you so easily, but it was making you feel more and more comfortable.
Bonnie and Caroline had downed their drinks. They were listening as the song changed to something you didn’t recognize, but they clearly did.
“Oh my god, we have to go dance,” Caroline yelled over the loud music.
You glanced at Stefan with a pained expression that, you were surprised to find, matched his.
“Come on, you gloomy-pants,” Caroline rolled her eyes. She dragged the both of you into the middle of the field that was serving as the dance floor.
You and Stefan placated her with mild swaying as she and Bonnie danced wildly to their song. Mercifully Caroline hated the next song and you were happy to follow her back over to the quieter drinks area. Stefan had kept his hand on the small of your back during most of the time when you weren’t dancing. It felt like an anchor, a safe place.
After another half hour of some drinks and easy chatting, the party started to get monotonous.
“Wanna get out of here?” Bonnie suggested.
“My roommate’s never home,” you offered. “And I have more booze back at my place.”
“Sold,” Caroline smiled. Bonnie nodded in agreement, and Stefan gestured for you to lead the way.
You weren’t sure what had come over you, but you wanted to stay with them, so you’d offered the only thing that had come to mind. The rest of the campus seemed comparatively grave-like, as most of the students were in the field at the party. It was nice, honestly. You led them up to your dorm and opened the door. Thankfully you’d kept your room tidy enough not to be embarrassing, but your sketchbooks were laid out everywhere. You moved the ones that prevented people from sitting, but your new friends stopped you and took them from your hands.
“Stefan mentioned you’re an artist,” Bonnie smiled. “Can we look?”
While you would usually scorn the idea of near strangers assessing your work, they seemed so genuinely interested, you consented. They each took one and you waited impatiently for them to say something. Stefan smiled at you several times as he flipped through the one he held.
“Turns out you can draw more than just me,” he smirked.
“You drew him too?” Caroline asked. You showed her the drawing that had introduced him to you. “Wow,” she smiled.
“I think I found us too,” Bonnie said, showing you two sketches on the same page.
You looked coser.
“Did you stalk them too?” Stefan teased.
You creased your brow and studied them.
“No,” you said seriously. “I drew those at home in Vermont. Before I came here.”
“You’re kidding?” Bonnie asked.
“No” you promised. “Look at the date.”
She did and seemed surprised. Stefan’s brows knit together for a moment, but he easily relaxed.
“Wild,” he sighed.
“Yeah,” Bonnie said, a little less dismissively.
“We should toast to art bringing us a new friend,” Caroline decided. You saw her gaze shift from Stefan’s and felt like you’d witnessed a telepathic conversation.
“Of course,” you said, gathering the promised drinks. You couldn’t shake the strange feeling. You hadn’t recognized them when you’d seen them. You’d drawn those so long ago and forgotten about them. How could you have drawn people you’d never seen?
“To art,” Stefan said as you clinked your glasses together. You let the noise clear your mind of the weirdness and smiled.