don't let me go

Liza blinked to her sister’s voice, looking towards her as she made a slight face. “I don’t know what you’re talking about,” she tried to deny, though the warmth in her cheeks clearly reflected that she knew exactly what her sister was talking about. She tried not to worry about the fact that her sister had noticed it; after all, Ariah and Liza were as close as could be humanly possible, it was expected that Ariah would pick up on the fact that Liza was attracted to Stefan. Liza just hoped that it wasn’t too obvious to anybody else. “You’re not one to talk.” Smiling, she shifted to nudge Ariah gently, arching a brow. “I’ve seen how much you’ve been hanging out with Tyler, after all.” Teasingly, she wiggled her brows, trying to get under her sister’s skin. Talking about how much Ariah had been hanging out with Tyler reminded her of how much she’d been hanging out with Stefan herself and, though she tried not to, she found herself scanning the crowd for Stefan, chewing on her lip. When she spotted him, though, she perked up almost immediately and she offered a small grin, waving slightly.

---

Tyler watched as Matt wandered away from him, though he didn’t really care; Matt could do whatever he wanted. Plus, he figured Matt was leaving because he knew that Tyler would immediately start searching for Ariah to hang out with - which, admittedly, was exactly what Tyler began to do. He spotted the car the Gilberts used before long and he smiled to himself, glad that she was at least possibly here - he hoped, more than anything, that she was. He wanted to continue to get close to her and get to know her more, but he also wanted to be there for her, give her somebody to lean on. He wanted her to know that he’d be there for her through the good and bad times, because she deserved somebody like that in her life outside of her family. Spotting the twins, then, his gaze immediately fell on Ariah, and he could feel himself freeze as he took her in. As always, she looked gorgeous, but there was something about the way the light from the bonfire illuminated her that made her look absolutely mesmerizing. Swallowing past the nervous lump that grew in his throat, he grinned and made his way over. “Ariah, hey,” he greeted, “You actually decided to show up?”

Seeing Liza send a small wave in his direction, was all Stefan needed before he started walking towards her. His eyes caught sight of Tyler also heading in the direction of the twins, however he knew Tyler would only be interested in seeing Ariah. Stefan decided to take his time walking over to Liza, in case she wanted to see her friends first, though he hoped that she didn’t as he did want to spend more time with her. As he walked, he watched as the twins spoke to each other. He noticed Liza looked to be in a good mood, the light from the bonfire made her eyes shine and from where he was, he couldn’t see much pain in her eyes at that moment in time. “Hi Liza,” He looked at her before stealing a glance at Ariah and Tyler, “Did you want to grab a drink?” He asked as he did want to spend more time alone with her, he wanted to know everything about her and be there for her. He knew he needed to tell her that he was the reason her parents died, because he couldn’t save her and her parents, but he knew if she knew he was there that night, she would push him away and that was the last thing he wanted.

---

Ariah couldn’t help but smile at her sister when she brought up Stefan, she liked the guy and thought he was a good distraction for Liza right now. Feeling the nudge from her sister, she looked at her twin. “At least I can admit that I do really like Tyler, I like him a lot actually.” She had always had a small crush on Tyler, but never acted on it because they didn’t really know each other that well. She knew it was different for Liza, she probably still thought about Matt and how much it would hurt him if she jumped into another relationship. Ariah didn’t have an ex-boyfriend who still loved her. Looking at Tyler, she smiled at him. “I did, someone has to keep an eye on everyone.” She looked at him, she was glad that he had come over to find her. Yes, she did want to keep an eye on her siblings, mostly Jeremy. But she also wanted to see Tyler again, even though she had pretty much spent all day with him at school. She seemed to feel better when he was around, her mind didn’t drift back to her parents when he was there, and she felt safe with him.

Liza made a teasing face at her sister’s words. “We both know there’s a reason I can’t admit to liking Stefan,” she reminded quietly, not wanting anybody to overhear them. Seeing that Tyler was coming over, though, she fell silent before she saw Stefan heading over and she felt her heart swell, surprised with how happy she was with the thought of spending any amount of time with him. “Hey, Stefan,” she greeted quietly, offering a small grin when he reached them, and she shifted a bit, peering over at Ariah and Tyler. Seeing that her sister was occupied and probably wouldn’t even notice her leaving, anyways, she offered a smile to Stefan and nodded. “Sure, a drink sounds good. We’ll leave these two alone.” She grinned teasingly over at her sister, even if her sister wouldn’t notice it, before she motioned to Stefan and walked away, leading the way to where the drinks were. “I’m glad you actually showed up, honestly,” she admitted, peering over at him. “How long have you been here?”

---

Tyler grinned slightly as he listened to Ariah, glad to hear her voice after all the teasing Matt had thrown at him. “Well, at least you’re here,” he told her, offering a smile as he took her in, admiring her outfit, but mostly just admiring her, because she was just absolutely gorgeous. He wanted to tell her that, to let her know how amazing he thought she was, but he worried about possibly going too fast with her. He’d moved fast with all the other girls he’d been with, he wanted to do things right with Ariah. He wanted to treat her the way she deserved and he wanted to be a better person for her, somebody who would deserve her. “Always the responsible one, for as long as I’ve known you.” Grinning teasingly, he gestured with his head towards the drinks. “Does that mean you won’t be drinking tonight? Because, if you’re going to spend the night sober, you might want to have a sober buddy and I definitely don’t mind being your sober buddy.” Even if that wasn’t normally what he did, he wanted to just wholly enjoy being around her, sober or not.

Stefan grinned when Liza agreed to grab a drink with him, considering that her sister was now talking to Tyler, he didn’t want Liza to feel like she was a third wheel. Walking beside her, he couldn’t stop himself from stealing glances of her. “You look extra beautiful tonight,” He told her as she was always beautiful, he thought it was too early for him to tell her that yet, that he found her to be absolutely gorgeous all of the time. “I came tonight for you, if you hadn’t asked me then I’d probably be at home. I wanted to come for you, it means I get to spend more time with you.” He wasn’t trying to charm her, he was just being honest with her. She was the only reason he was there at the bonfire party, she was the only reason he was still in Mystic Falls as he normally didn’t stay long. “No, I haven’t been waiting long.” He grinned grabbed two red plastic cups and filling them with beer, he handed one cup to Liza before taking a sip from his own cup. “Now if you get bored of me, please feel free to go find your friends. I won’t blame you considering how much of your time I’ve taken up already,” He looked at her, he didn’t want her to feel like she had to stay there with him because she had asked him to go, she could do whatever she wanted.

---

Ariah looked at him surprised, she had never been to a party where Tyler had been drinking and having fun. Why would he suddenly want to change that for her? “I can’t ask you to do that, I want you to have fun as well.” He would never know how much his offer meant to her, even if he didn’t stay sober with her, he had wanted to stay sober with her and that meant the world to her. Glancing over to where the drinks were, she sighed softly. “I guess one drink isn’t going to hurt anyone,” She decided as she looked back to Tyler, it was a party after all and normally Ariah would have still enjoyed herself. She wanted to enjoy the bonfire like she used to, so she decided that she would because she deserved to. “Just don’t get me drunk,” She smiled as she followed Tyler and watched as he got them both a drink, taking the red cup from him she took a sip of the bitter beer. With her drink in hand, Ariah moved towards the bonfire and sat down on a fallen log. “Where’s Matt?” She asked when Tyler joined her, usually when she saw Tyler, Matt was never far behind.

Liza smiled slightly as she walked with Stefan, looking forward to really just relaxing. Hearing Stefan talk, though, she blinked as she lisfted her gaze to peer up at him, mildly surprised. “Thank you, Stefan,” she murmured quietly as she examined him, though she felt her heart swelling as Stefan continued to talk and she chewed on her lip for a few moments to try to suppress her grin. “You really know what to say to a girl, huh?” Watching him, her expression softened into a small smile and she ducked her head a bit, shocked with how easily Stefan tended to affect her. It was something she didn’t really understand - the effect he had on her, the way he so easily made her smile or laugh when everything around her felt so hard. “I really am glad you’re here, Stefan. You, uh… You really know how to make me smile.” She nudged him gently and shook her head. “I won’t get bored of you, I promise.”

---

Tyler shook his head to Ariah’s words, offering a small grin in response as he examined her. “You didn’t ask me to do anything,” he pointed out gently, carefully, to her. “This is just what I want to do, so you don’t have to be alone, because I don’t want you to be alone in any of this.” Offering a smile, he nudged her gently as he listened to her words and he nodded slightly. “Alright, one drink it is.” Grinning as she got the drinks for him, he held his cup up in a mock toast, winking teasingly before he sipped his drink. “I won’t let you get drunk, I promise.” For a long moment, he examined her, wanting to make sure that she enjoyed herself, but, more so, wanting to see the smile on her face, wanting to memorize it, wanting to really take in how damn beautiful she was. “Oh, he’s wandering around here somewhere. I think he wandered off to find some alcohol earlier, before me, so he’s probably already drunk.”

“I’m not sure if I do, I’ll have to ask the one girl who I’ve said that to. Would you agree with that?” Stefan smiled as he looked at Liza, she was the only girl that he wanted to impress. Hopefully, it was working, as she was the only person he wanted to know and spend time with. Watching Liza, he chuckled softly when she nudged him, but it was her words that meant the best to him. All he wanted to do was make her happy, make her smile and laugh, because she deserved that more than anyone at this bonfire party. “I’m glad, I’ll make it my mission to make you smile when it feels impossible to do.” He promised her as he tipped his red plastic cup towards her, clinking them without the noise. “So, what else usually happens at these bonfires?” He asked her as he glanced around, most people were either drinking, laughing with friends or sitting at the bonfire. He wasn’t sure if this is all that happens at these parties, it’s been a long time since Stefan went to a high school party.

---

Ariah wouldn’t blame Matt if he was in the process of getting drunk, she would probably be drinking her feelings if she was him. She truly had never expected this from Tyler, maybe it was because they weren’t close and didn’t know each other well, or because his reputation didn’t make him out to be this amazing, caring guy. Ariah sipped her drink before she noticed Tyler’s eyes were fixed on her, suddenly she felt self-conscience under his gaze. “What?” Did she have something on her face or in her hair? She had checked her appearance in the bathroom mirror at home, plus she had gotten Liza to check her over too before they drove to the bonfire. Her sister had assured her that she looked good, so why was Tyler now looking at her so much? Not that she minded his attention, she had wanted his attention on her for so long, but never once did she think it would ever happen. He was so far out of her league, she never even had a shot at getting his attention. Or so she thought, because recently he had been amazing to her. He had been there for her when she needed him, he didn’t judge her or feel sorry for her or treat her like she was going to break down at any second.

Liza blinked as she registered Stefan’s words, and, amused, she ducked her head as if in thought, but she was mostly trying to hide the blush that was forming on her features. “You know what, I think I do agree with that,” she decided eventually, biting back a grin before she peered up at him once she was sure the blush wasn’t too noticeable - if anything, she could blame it on the light and warmth of the fire. As Stefan spoke, though, she could feel her heart swell in the best way and her expression softened as she examined him. “You don’t have to go through the trouble of that, Stefan,” she whispered, but the thought that he cared enough to even think about it made her happy in a way she couldn’t really explain. When she registered his question, she peered over at the bonfire, humming in thought. “Well, mostly… Sit around, get drunk, chat, catch up. Sometimes, people dance, but I don’t hear any music, so I’m pretty sure that one’s out.” She looked back at him and offered a small smile. “For the most part, I think the bonfire’s just about… Reconnecting after the summer.”

---

Tyler took Ariah in silently while he could, just wanting to acknowledge everything about her that he wouldn’t normally let himself notice. Her hair fell around her face in a way that accentuated the shape of her face. Her eyes were bright in the light of the bonfire. And, when she spoke, her voice was melodic, but he cleared his throat once he registered her question and, offering a small smile, he shook his head. “Nothing,” he assured her, “I’m just… I’m glad you’re here, Ariah.” It wasn’t a lie; he really was glad that she was there, he was looking forward to being able to spend time with her. But, he wished he could tell her everything else he thought, how beautiful she was to him, how he was glad she was a part of his life now. He couldn’t, though, too worried about how new this all was, and he knew she was still recovering from everything that had happened before, about losing her parents, and all the grief that came with that. He didn’t want to push things or rush things; he wanted to take things at Ariah’s pace, even though he wasn’t even sure if she was interested in him. “You wanna get closer to the bonfire, maybe?”

Stefan couldn’t stop the grin that formed on his face as he watched Liza, he watched the way she looked away from him when a blush tinted her cheeks. It was a sight that he wanted to see more and be the cause of, she deserved to have someone in her life who would make her blush and give her all their attention. He hoped he could be that person for her, though if he wasn’t, then he would eventually be alright with that. So long as Liza found that one person who brought out the best in her. “Trust me, it’ll be no trouble at all. And it’s something that I want to do for you,” He looked at her as she deserved it. Listening to Liza’s voice, he nodded his head lightly. “In that case, please don’t let me hold you back from spending time with her friends.” He looked at her as he would hate knowing that she didn’t get the chance to hang out with her friends, because of him. All he wanted was for Liza to enjoy her night at the bonfire, she needed to have this night for herself without someone like him getting in the way of that.

---

Ariah looked at Tyler and gave him a small smile, “I’m glad that I came tonight as well. I almost didn’t come as I wasn’t sure if I would be in the mood, but I’m really glad that I decided to come.” Not only because the bonfire got her out of the house, which she knew she needed to continue with, but also because Tyler was there, and she wanted to spend more time with him. Looking at him she nodded her head, “Yeah. We can get closer,” She agreed as she looked over to where the bonfire was blazing in the night sky, she spotted a log in front of the fire which no one was sitting on. “Let’s go sit over there,” She motioned over to the free log before she headed over, it wasn’t long before she felt the heat from the fire, and it was very welcoming. Ariah sat down on the log and set her gaze on the fire, before she looked at Tyler who was now sitting beside her. “What did you get up do over the summer?” She asked wanting to know what he did over the summer, to try and distract her from what happened during her summer break.

Liza listened to Stefan quietly and she swore she could never really get tired of him, of his voice, of being around him. Something about him just made her feel so at peace, so comfortable, and she never really wanted to give that feeling up. It amazed her that she could feel so safe with somebody she barely knew, but she really just did and she wanted to relish in the feeling for as long as she could. “You’re really sweet,” she murmured quietly, though she was honestly so glad and so relieved that she had somebody like him in her life, especially now, after everything that had happened in her life already. Chewing on her lip with the thought, she watched him for a moment, trying to keep her mind focused.

“No, no, it’s fine,” she assured, shaking her head quickly, “You’re my friend, too, Stefan, and I’m not really… Ready to part from you yet. Plus, I know most of my friends will go back to asking if I’m okay, how Ariah and I are doing, how Jeremy’s taking everything, so on and so forth, so I really just… Want to be here for a while, with you, forgetting about all the bad things.” And, she liked having Stefan just… There, near her, because he helped to center her from everything that was driving her crazy, and she couldn’t even begin to express her gratitude for that.

---

Tyler listened intently to Ariah, wanting her to know that he was always willing and ready to listen to her, no matter what she needed or wanted to talk about. He wanted her to know that she was cared about, that she mattered, and he nodded slightly. “Why did you almost not come?” he asked with curiosity as he watched her, hopeful that nothing had happened that had made her not want to come. Whatever it was must not have been too big of a deal, since she’d actually come, but he was still curious, worried - especially about her in general. “I’m sure it will be well worth you coming here, anyway.” He smiled, hoping to encourage her, wanting to assure her that she’d made the right decision in the end.

Nodding, he followed her closer to the fire, grinning. “There looks good, yeah.” He waited for her to sit before he sat down by her, peering over at her, taking in the way she looked when the flames of the fire lit up her face, and he found himself admittedly mesmerized by her, not wanting to look away, his heart swelling at the sight. He wanted to commit the sight, this moment, to memory, and to never forget it, no matter what. “I didn’t really do much. I hung out with Matt and Vicki a lot.” He shrugged slightly, not really wanting to go into that too much. “Practiced a bit of football, mostly just stayed out of the house. Did your summer go okay?”

She thought he was sweet. That single sentence would forever be in his heart, he would repeat that sentence to himself for the rest of his vampire life. The way her voice stayed soft as she spoke, like she didn’t want anyone around them to overhear what they were saying to each other. Stefan stood there and sipped his drink, his eyes focusing on Liza and only her. He knew that even if they were surrounded by thousands of people, no one else would have his complete attention. He wouldn’t dare look at another person, or think about someone other than Liza. Although, he haven’t known the stunning brunette for long. She was perfection to him, not only was she instantly beautiful but her heart matched her beauty. She was intelligent but seemed to keep that to herself, and Stefan could already tell that she would do absolutely anything for the people she cared about. Listening to her velvety voice, he found himself nodding his head as he understood the reason why she wasn’t too keen on finding her friends just yet.

“In that case, please do let me know when you get tired of having me around, okay.” He chuckled softly but hoped that he wouldn’t end up boring her, he wanted to spend the entire night with her if she would let him to. “I’m also not ready to part from you, and I trust that if you wanted to talk about how everything is going then you would just tell me.” His eyes were locked on Liza’s as he spoke, he knew how frustrating it was to constantly have people ask if you were okay after a tragedy. Liza didn’t need that right now, especially not from him so if she did want to talk about losing her parents or how she was feeling or how her siblings were doing. Then he would be there for her in that moment, but he wasn’t going to ask her or pressure her to talk to him. “Did you want to find somewhere to sit or we could wander around here,” He suggested to her in case she wanted to take a break away from everyone at the bonfire.

---

Ariah looked at Tyler who sat beside her and she chewed on her bottom lip for a second, “I didn’t want to come here and then ruin the mood for everyone else.” Which she now realised probably wouldn’t have happened, not with the amount of other kids that were currently at the bonfire. They were all drinking and having fun, her being there couldn’t possibly ruin that as the majority of people at the bonfire didn’t care that much about her or her family. “I am glad that I decided to come along,” A smile graced her lips as Tyler was the reason she was glad that she hadn’t stayed at home, she wasn’t ready to tell him or anyone that yet, even if Liza was already catching onto how Ariah felt about Tyler. As she listened to him talk about his summer, her smile faltered slightly when she heard the name she dreading hearing come from Tyler’s inviting lips.

Vicki

She got along with Matt’s sister just fine, Vicki just wasn’t really the type of person that Ariah wanted to spend time with. She also hated how much time Jeremy was spending with Vicki now as she was bringing the worst of Jeremy out, she was getting him into drinking and drugs and skipping school. Vicki was bad news, everyone saw that but Jeremy. Ariah had also felt jealous when Tyler started dating Vicki, which was an emotion that she hid away from everyone. Her eyes found the bonfire again as her heart sank, she was nothing like Vicki and never would be. So, if that was Tyler’s type of girl then she would have zero chance of getting closer to him. “My summer started out really good…” And it had, the beginning of summer had been amazing for the Gilbert family. “Is everything okay at home?” She asked him as her eyes continued to watch the flames of the bonfire crackle into the nights sky, Ariah had always gotten along with Carol Lockwood who had really offered kindness after the accident. Yet, she wasn’t overly fond of Tyler’s father, Richard. And she had seen the strained relationship that Tyler had with his father, she hoped nothing had happened between them over the summer.

Liza watched Stefan as she listened to him, though she smiled slightly. Something about Stefan put her so at ease, filled her heart with a comfort she wasn’t familiar with, and she was grateful to him for it. “I’m certain that will never happen,” she said quietly as she watched him, because she couldn’t imagine getting tired of being around him, of having him around. A part of her was already dreading having to part from him later that night, when she’d inevitably have to go home, but she didn’t say anything about that and instead focused on spending time with him now, here, and enjoying whatever they could talk about and however much time they could manage to spend together.

As he spoke, though, she blinked with mild surprise, though she couldn’t help the happiness that rushed through her, a small grin forming on her features. “I know what you mean. I, uh… I don’t want to part from you yet, either.” Or ever, she realized, but she didn’t say it aloud, too worried that she might sound clingy or overwhelming - they barely knew each other, after all. “And I will, really. So long as you do the same - I’d hate for you to have to go through something difficult alone…” Her expression softened as she watched him, hoping he knew she was genuine about her words. But she smiled slightly and nodded. “We can sit, sure. I’d like that.”

---

Tyler was surprised with Ariah’s confession, though his expression softened a bit, and he could feel himself growing concerned for her. “You wouldn’t ruin the mood for anybody,” he assured her quietly as he watched her, “You should just… Be yourself, do things at your own pace.” And, personally, he wanted that for her. He wanted her to be able to be herself, to do whatever made things easier for her. “Either way, I’ll be here for you, promise.” And, he’d do everything he could to keep that promise, because Ariah deserved that, she deserved somebody that she could rely on. He grinned, though, when he caught sight of the smile on her features, and he swore the sight of it lit a warmth within him. “I’m glad you decided to come along, too.”

After he’d spoken, though, he’d caught the sight of her smile faltering, falling, and his expression softened with concern. “Is everything okay? Did I say something wrong?” He hoped not, he hoped he hadn’t ruined all of this already, not when he was trying so hard to show Ariah that he was a better person, that he was trying to get better, that he was trying to do the right thing. He listened to her explain about her summer, and he chewed on his lip, wishing he hadn’t brought it up. “I’m sorry,” he told her quietly, “I didn’t mean to bring up bad memories, I’m sorry.” He watched her for a moment, though he shifted as he heard her question, not really wanting to talk about how much of an asshole his father was. “Could be better, but at least I don’t spend much time there.” He shrugged.

A wide smile formed on Stefan’s face as joy filled his senses, he knew there was a chance that Liza wouldn’t share how he felt. Where she might not want to spend all her time with him, however when she confirmed that she did enjoy his company, it just filled him with so much joy which was an emotion that he hadn’t felt in a very long time. “I’m glad you said that, now I know that I won’t need to give you space tonight.” He smiled as he looked at her, memorizing her face and the way her eyes shined in the dim light. Katherine was beautiful, there was no denying that. But Liza was completely different even if she did look exactly like Katherine, she was even more beautiful then the vampire because she was beautiful person on the inside which made her glow. In Stefan’s opinion at least and nothing could possibly change his belief on that.

“I can agree with that, if anything happens then you’ll be the first person I talk to.” Not that he could see that happening, so much had already happened in his life that he had come accustomed to whatever could be thrown at him. He had loved ones die or be murdered, he had been overjoyed with friends, he had seen war and been a killer. He knew how to handle his emotions, but knowing that Liza wanted to be there for him did mean the world to him. “Great,” He smiled as his eyes scanned the area until he found two empty camping chairs. He walked over to them and sat down on one, watching as Liza did the same as she sat beside him. “Is sitting here alright with you?” He asked her as the chairs had been placed a little further away from the bonfire, but it meant they would have somewhat more privacy as well.

---

Ariah hadn’t expected to hear that Tyler wanted to be there for her and that he would be there if she needed him, though it was a sentence that she had wanted him to say to her for a while now. And it brought a smile to her face. She shook her head as she looked at him, she couldn’t tell him that for the last few years she held onto a crush for him and that she wasn’t like Vicki, so he probably wouldn’t feel the same way about her. “It’s fine…” She looked at him as she reached her hand out and rested her hand on his arm, she didn’t want him feeling bad for asking about how her summer was or just how she was doing in general. “I still had a lot of time where I spent time with them, before the accident.” The first part of the summer was great, she did spend more time with her parents which Ariah decided to focus on every time she thought about them or missed them. She knew she was lucky to have that time with them.

Ariah was disappointed in Tyler’s father, that he didn’t spend more time with his son or give more of an effort to get along with his only son. She knew from seeing the relationship that her own father and Jeremy had, how important that was. Just like how important it was to have her mom in her life, and it seemed that Tyler didn’t have that with his dad. “Well if you ever need an escape, you can always come over to mine and we can hang out.” She didn’t want Tyler ever feel alone, obviously he had Matt, but no one else seemed to really get along with him and no one really gave him a chance. “Or we can hang out at the Grill or anywhere else,” The Gilbert household wasn’t the best place to be, simply just because her family was still grieving and were trying to get their lives back to normal again.

Liza was mildly surprised to hear Stefan’s words though she couldn’t help but smile, and she nodded slightly in understanding. “Well… I’m glad,” she murmured quietly, watching him for a long moment, “I wouldn’t want you to give me space tonight, anyway. You being here… It puts me at ease, honestly. Makes being here a little easier.” She wondered if that was saying too much, if she was being too honest, but it wasn’t like she had a reason to keep her thoughts to herself. Stefan put her at ease, and he seemed to make everything better, and she was grateful for that, for him.

As he continued to speak, she couldn’t help but grin slightly, glad to hear it, glad to know that he would entrust her if he needed to talk, and she nodded. “Good… I’ll always be here to listen.” And, she meant it, because she knew sometimes people just needed somebody to listen, and she wanted to be able to be there for Stefan if he ever needed that. Seeing him walking, she followed him, but she smiled and nodded as she sat down. “Yeah, I think this works.” She watched him for a moment before peering around a bit, taking it all in, though she was a little glad they were a bit away from everything else. “Are you usually a party person?”

---

Tyler watched Ariah for a few long moments, a part of him curious as to what was going through her mind, though he could feel his heart swell at the sight of her smile. A part of him was happy, proud of himself for managing to make her smile, because Ariah deserved all the happiness in the world, and he wanted to contribute to that in any way that he could. It made him happy to know that he’d managed to make her happy at all, in any sense, regardless of how simple it was. “Are you sure?” he asked after a moment, though he felt himself relax under her touch, swearing something about it drove his senses crazy. Still, he listened to her and nodded slightly. “At least you have memories you can cherish of them…” And that was better than nothing, he was sure.

His eyes took her in for bit as he listened to her, taking in her words, but also examining her features, looking for anything that might tell him that anything in the world was bothering her, because a huge part of him wanted to protect her from anything and everything that he could. He wanted to be there for her, he wanted to support her, he wanted her to know she wasn’t alone. Still, hearing her, he smiled and nodded slightly. “I’ll definitely keep that in mind,” he promised as his eyes ran over her features, grateful for her offer, and so, so certain that she had the kindest soul and the most golden heart of anyone he knew. “I’m sure I’ll take you up on that offer before you know it.”

Hearing Liza’s words would have caused Stefan’s heart to skip a beat if he had still been human, knowing that his company was able to put her at ease, meant so much to him. It meant the world to him because he knew deep down that Liza would become his world, she was giving him a purpose to stay in Mystic Falls and continue on living his vampire life in the best way he could. “Then I won’t be going anywhere tonight,” He looked into her stunning eyes as he promised her that, if he made the bonfire easier for her then he wasn’t going anywhere without her. His friendship with Liza already felt different than what he had with Katherine, not only because Liza was nothing like Katherine, but because Stefan wanted to be with Liza. He felt like he had a stronger connection with Liza, she wasn’t trying to manipulate him into her own little mind game. Liza was so much better than Katherine, in every possible way.

Sitting with Liza, Stefan took a sip of his drink and shook his head to her question. “Not overly, no. I mean I think most of us will go through a partying stage in our lives, but I’m well over that now.” He explained not going too far into his past as he didn’t want to tell Liza everything, not just yet. He wanted to give her the time where she could grieve, before he explained to her that he was a vampire. “What about you? Do you attend parties often?” He looked at her and admired her, he wasn’t bothering to hide it from her now because why should he? He wanted to be part of her life, he wanted to get to know her and spend more time with her. And he wanted her to know that was how he felt.

---

“I’m sure,” Ariah promised as she looked at Tyler, she really enjoyed the sensation she received from having her hand touch his arm. It was a simple touch but it meant something to Ariah, it meant she had someone who wasn’t in the Gilbert family, who wanted to be there for her during this time in life. And though it came from someone Ariah had least expected, she still felt wanted. Tyler wanted to be there, he wanted to talk to her, he wanted to spend time with her. And that is all she needed. However, Ariah didn’t want to make Tyler uncomfortable so she moved her hand back over to her lap before she lifted her cup up to her lips and finished off her drink. There had only been a couple of times when Ariah had gotten drunk, so she knew it was a way to temporary forget everything.

“I hope that you do,” Ariah would be there if he needed someone, or even if he just wanted to hang out with or so that he could get out of the house. She would be there for him, because he stuck around her in the past few days when she truly needed someone. Even if she hadn’t wanted to admit it, she now knew that she couldn’t and shouldn’t go through what she was on her own. Tyler had been there for her and she wanted to be there for him, if he ever needed her. “Did you want another drink?” Ariah did know getting drunk wouldn’t actually help her, and she didn’t want to drink that much. But another drink could help her loosen up and that was what the bonfire was meant for, for them to enjoy themselves for the night.

Liza smiled with the mention of it, and she watched him for a long moment and nodded. “Well… Good, I’m glad,” she murmured quietly, happily, because she didn’t want to part from him, not yet. Maybe not ever - but she shook that thought aside. She couldn’t let her mind focus on that too much. Still, she offered an amused look when they focused on talking about parties and she nodded in understanding. “I get that,” she said as she watched him before she peered around a bit, though her gaze just easily and quickly focused back in on Stefan, as if afraid that if she took her eyes off him for too long, he would disappear from her sight, and that was the last thing she wanted. “Not often, no. They can be fun, but… They can also get hectic.” She made a face and shrugged.

---

Tyler smiled with Ariah’s promise and he nodded slightly, accepting it, glad to hear it. He hoped that she ended up enjoying the night, especially after everything she went through - and he wanted to try his best to be here for her, hopefully to even make sure she enjoyed the night, in case it turned out to start sucking a bit. At the very least, he could be there for her, try to make things lighter, funner. “I do,” he promised, smiling as he took her in, amazed by her truly. She may be a twin, but she was genuinely one of a kind, and he wished he had made an attempt to spend time with her sooner. “I do, but I can get us something to drink if you want. I can be the polite guy for once.” He grinned playfully, but he also knew it was the truth, because he wasn’t exactly the best person around - but he’d be on good behavior for her.

Stefan laughed softly as he listened to Liza’s words, “Hectic is the perfect word.” He grinned as he looked at the beauty standing before him, “That does tend to happen when teenagers get their hands on alcohol.” He glanced around them at all the other teenagers who were enjoying the night with friends, “I just hope that you get to enjoy your night,” His eyes easily fell back onto Liza as it felt natural to him, which was another difference between how he felt like Liza and how he had felt with Katherine. Nothing felt natural when he had been around Katherine, no matter how much he tried. But with Liza, everything felt right. It was like the reason he had been turned, wasn’t so he could be with Katherine. It was because he was born into the wrong era and he had to wait until now, wait until he found Liza.

---

Ariah smiled as the night hadn’t been horrible like she had assumed it would be, it was the first party she’d been to since her parents died. She knew that it was good for her to get out of the house, to try and get back to being a normal teenager again. “I’d like another drink,” She smiled as she looked at Tyler before she laughed, “You being polite? Since when have you been the polite guy?” She smiled as she teased him, a cheeky grin on her face as she knew what Tyler was like. She hadn’t seen this side of him before, a more selfless and caring self but she liked it and hoped she saw more of it. “I guess if you want to be polite for me, I must be one special girl,” She looked at him being a little buzz from the first beer she had, it was enough that she felt bold enough to flirt a little bit with him, to see how he would react.