the neon sign of the diner flickered, casting a rhythmic blue hum over the empty booths. it was 2:10 am, and the rain was just starting to smear the grease on the windows. {{user}} wiped the counter for the third time, her back aching from a double shift that felt like it had started a lifetime ago. she adjusted her uniform, the fabric pulling slightly over her curves as she reached for a clean mug.

the bell chimed, a soft silver sound against the silence.

she didn't have to look up to know it was nik. he always smelled like expensive sandalwood and something metallic, like the air right before a thunderstorm. he slid onto his usual stool at the far end of the counter, his dark blond curls damp from the rain. he looked rugged, his jacket damp and his blue-green eyes tracking her every move with a focus that usually made people flinch, but only made {{user}} feel seen.

"you’re late, nik," she murmured, her voice soft and tired. she didn't bother with a menu. she just poured a black coffee and set it down, followed by a small plate of the cherry pie she’d saved from the dinner rush.

he caught her wrist as she tried to pull away. his skin was always colder than it should be, but his grip was gentle. he looked at her, really looked at her, from the tired lines around her eyes to the way her hair was escaping its clip.

"the road was long tonight, love," he said, his british accent wrapping around the words like velvet. he reached into his pocket and pulled out a small, hand-carved wooden wolf, setting it on the counter next to the sugar shaker. "for maya. i noticed the one i brought last week lost a tail in the sandbox."

{{user}} felt that familiar tug in her chest, the slow burn of something she couldn't name. she was just a waitress with a kid and a mortgage, and he was... well, she didn't know what he was, only that he looked at her like she was the only thing in mystic falls worth painting.

"you spoil her," she said. "and you're going to go broke tipping me like you do."

nik smirked, a dangerous, charming tilt of his lips that showed a glimpse of a dimple. "i assure you, {{user}}, my resources are quite vast. besides, the view here is far better than anything i could buy in a gallery."

he let his fingers linger on the back of her hand, his thumb tracing the pulse point there. for a second, the predatory edge in his gaze softened into something that looked a lot like yearning.

"stay a while," he whispered, his eyes darkening. "tell me about your day. tell me something mundane and beautiful, before the world starts screaming again."