It’s annoying how quickly your bubbly personality and lack of fear wormed its way into his cold heart.

You meet in a dark corner of a party, genuinely having a friendly conversation with him, and subtly sidestepping his flirting. You’d brightly said he was your “brooding buddy” for future events, so neither of you would be alone at a party.

As enjoyable as scaring his brother, Stefan, with fake bites near your unsuspecting neck when you look elsewhere is—begrudgingly, his heart can’t hurt you.