#* . ⊹ 𝕂.𝕃. › theo 002

[hellonexrth]

002. kaya & theo event: laurie & hope's wedding reception @hntershunted

Putting on a brave face ended up being much easier than the hellhound, now tribrid, thought. After Ingrid turned her, she'd thrown herself into party planning, making sure that the wedding reception was absolutely perfect for her best friend and her new husband. She still couldn't believe that Hope was actually married. Meanwhile, she and Theo hadn't even had the talk yet, despite having spent an astounding amount of time together. But despite her confident exterior, her nerves often got to her, and she didn't want to assume anything about her relationship to him.

Especially since she'd yet to tell him the big news. It just felt odd to have to come out and say it. How would she even go about that? Like, hey, sorry, forgot to mention, but I'm a vampire now because my best friend force-fed me her blood and then killed me. No, that was ridiculous, and it sounded crazy to even think, she couldn't imagine how it would sound said out loud. Despite trying her best not to think about it, some of the negative thoughts still nagged at the base of her skull, and she spent a good deal of effort trying to push them back down. Trying not to feel anything. Especially since she didn't want to ruin this moment for her friends.

So, she flitted around the party in a tight red dress with a corset top and puffy off the shoulder sleeves, looking hot but feeling more stressed than ever. Channeling all of those negative emotions into making sure the space looked perfect. When people started to arrive, she moved like a blur to the entrance, looking over the shoulder of the vampire they'd paid to check invites, making certain he was doing his job. There, she spotted Theo, specifically uninvited from party setup as a way to distance herself, to keep from having to tell him anything. But there he was, looking as handsome as ever, and Kaya couldn't help but step in his direction, pulling him toward her so she could throw her arms over his shoulders. She offered him a wide smile, "Long time no see. So nice of you to make an appearance, Mr. Salvatore." She paused, then said "How was that? Very professional welcoming party of me, right?" with a wiggle of her brows.

[hellonexrth]

The way he looked at her immediately filled her with stress. She didn't want to ruin this moment, the way they'd stood their looking deep into one another's eyes, like everything in the world was completely perfect. And she wanted so badly for that to be a shell impenetrable by anything they faced together. But this, the way she felt deep under all the walls she'd put up—she was crumbling. With Hope and Ingrid, being a tribrid always seemed so natural. Like they were meant to be one. Vampire, witch, werewolf, the pieces all seemed to mesh. But with her, something seemed wrong, off. The three species' didn't co-mingle well, her vampire and demon sides opposing each other every step of the way, and even though she tried more than anything to ignore it, she could feel the stirring in her chest, the demonic darkness fighting for superiority over the vampire's grasp on her humanity.

And all of a sudden, saying the words, explaining what had happened, it felt like knocking down all those walls, opening herself up to something dangerous that she wasn't sure she could control. She knew that a far off expression had pressed itself onto her features and she forced a smile over it, trying to remain above the surface, trying not to ruin anything for herself, for them, for Hope and Laurie, trying to just exist without feeling like an impending implosion. But Teddy's eyes and his genuine interest in what was going on snapped something in her resolve, and she just had to say the words, just had to get them out of her mouth so someone else knew, so she wasn't keeping this big, huge secret anymore. It all came out in one jumbled up ramble-sentence. "The Collective controlled Ingrid and made her feed me her blood and then kill me." She looked down at her hands, then at him again. "So I guess we're in this whole vampire thing together."

HIS BROW FURROWED, HAZEL eyes immediately filled with concern as he placed a strand of her hair behind her ear. fingers gently trailing against her cheek. the vampire moved to stand in front of her, both hands came to cup her face, in the most gentle of ways ⸺ he knew she wasn’t breakable, kaya was in fact the STRONGEST person he’d ever known. It was her spark and fire that had always drawn him im after all.

“ hey, yeah.. you know that ANYTHING goes, whatever it is.. we can figure it out together. “ and they would, whatever life threw at them now that they were together wouldn’t stand a chance. because she was by all means the love of his life, the girl he’d spent so long dreaming about. gently he let his forehead fall against hers for a small moment before pulling back. one hand still resting on her cheek. a silent act of encouragement, and a promise that he’d make whatever it was okay because that’s what he was supposed to do right? make things feel ‘ good ‘ for her? she DESERVED that, more than anyone. and even if he wasn’t exactly gifted where expressing emotions were concerned, the least he owed her was to try, even if his own were a jumbled mess, putting her FIRST had to be what was needed right? it made sense in his head at least. “ what is it, pretty girl? “

[hellonexrth]

It was so easy to get wrapped up in him, so easy to pretend that they were in their own little world. She couldn't blame Hope and Laurie for all their gross public displays of affection, when she didn't shy away from kissing him back for probably longer than was acceptable. She didn't care though, neither of them did. Kaya had never been in love, not like this, and she would tell everyone, make it known that he was hers.

"Just what the lady likes to hear," she teases, her smile never faltering in his presence. As they settled near the bar, she didn't bother to detach from him, still cozied up at his side, one arm around him, basically leaning into his body. She didn't have a single need for personal space in that moment. But as they stopped moving, and she stood there so close to him, all she could think about what how different things were for her now, and for him, too. A change they were going through together, even if he didn't know. She sipped the drink placed in front of her, pulling away from him only slightly to do so, before catching his eyes and biting her bottom lip. "There's something I need to tell you, and it can probably wait until after, but it feels weird, you not knowing. You know?" She told Theo everything, every silly little thought that came into her brain, so not blurting this news out suddenly felt so much harder than it had been for the rest of the night.

HE PRESSED HIS LIPS to hers for a little bit longer than would be deemed ‘ socially acceptable ‘ hey if the old man could gross everyone out with his gremlin of a wife, then he could do the same with his own gorgeous girl. not accounting for the fact that being close to her allowed his anxieties to settle ⸺ whoever came up with the idea of amplifying someone’s personality as a vampire, deserved to have their teeth kicked in.

his mood changes has definitely been something he’d struggled with, the logical side of his brain scrambled to explain everything he felt away but compartmentalizing just didn’t work when you didn’t know what was WRONG ⸺ and maybe numbing was the wrong choice but what other did he have? the person who’d done this to him, was someone he cared for too along with everyone else. swallowing seemed his best bet, for now. twirling the brunette once again, he finished the dance with a dip, and his arms around her waist. pressing another quick kiss to her lips, he laced her fingers with his and pulled her towards the bar. “ whatever the lady, wants. “ he winked in her direction, before flagging the bar tender towards them and ordering another round for the both of them.

[hellonexrth]

His words nearly brought tears to her eyes. They weren't visible, but she could feel that inward sting, like touching something so cold it hurt to the inner corners of her eyes, alive. Neither of them were truly alive anymore, were they? And he was her anchor too, in more ways than just one. He kept away the thoughts that would swallow her whole otherwise, but he kept the demons away too. Without him, without Ingrid and Hope, she'd be a complete and utter goner.

"You are my favorite thing about being alive, and you might be my favorite person in the whole world. But if you tell Ingrid I said that, I'll have to deny it," she said, hands rested on his shoulders, looking up at him with fluttering eyelashes, seeing her entire world in his eyes. "Good," she said, with a note of finality. If they were going to live this awful, immortal life, at least it would be together, at least it would be with the promise of a thousand dates, of a lifetime of laughter and kissing. She crashed into him and laughter left her lips with ease, unbridled happiness, not even thinking enough to remember what she was trying not to think about. And as the song came to a stop, she only rested her head on his shoulder, not wanting the moment to end. "About that drink?" she asked, lifting her head enough to catch his eyes.

A SUDDEN SELF AWARE feeling over took him, and something of an awkward laugh slipped past his lips. it was going to take him some time to really fully BELIEVE that this was actually happening. Sometimes he caught himself wondering if he’d simply woken up in one of the many dreams he’d had about them ⸺ and them being together. But catching her in his arms reminded him that it had in fact happened. the plus side of almost dying? the nerd finally got the girl.

his forehead leaned against his and he couldn’t help but get lost in her warm dark brown gaze. his eyes bore into hers, before he pressed her lips to hers. “ kaya lockwood, you are the absolute BEST thing about being alive. “ his anchor of sorts, she’d always been that ⸺ even as just his best friend, the way she could pull him out of his overly complicated brain. “ and i love you. “ he said it again, the stupid grin on his face refusing to fall, as a hand tangled in her hair. “yeah? “ he whispered over her lips, eyes locked on hers. “ i’ll be holding you to that. “ he then twirled her around, before once again allowing her weight to crash into him, as the music played around them. a perfect background to the moment they were currently sharing.

[hellonexrth]

"One of my favorite things about you, smart and hot," she teased, nuzzling her nose against his before he pulled away again. The hellhound barely understood how it was so easy to get lost in him, her best friend, her soulmate. Like all of the problems that'd weighed so heavily on her brain before hand had just disappeared, and if she could keep him close by, maybe they'd never come back. A pipe dream, but at least a girl could hope. Being with him, it did, however, make her understand why Laurie and Hope were so gross all the time. She had to restrain herself from throwing herself at him, from revealing her secrets and whisking them away to a dark corner somewhere. Then she could really make her bad thoughts disappear.

"I love you, I love you, I love you," she whispered against his lips after he said it first. Saying those words out loud still felt like breathing the freshest air, like coming up from drowning after years of pretending, like admitting something to herself that could never be denied again. He was hers and they loved each other. She still couldn't believe it. "Yes, any time, any place, yes. I'd go on a hundred dates with you. A thousand."

“ THE BENEFITS OF A big brain. “ he replied with a light tap of her nose against his. if nothing in his life was to go the way he always wanted it to, he had to ADMIT that having this, her ⸺ was very much the only thing that felt ‘ meant to be ‘ these days. not that he had ever been much of a romantic, but he had always loved her, from the moment they met. the memories of their friendship, all of those times they were there for each other? it simply made what was happening between them all that much more significant.

he felt his cheeks heat up, the blush contrasting with his chosen attire. his forehead leaned against hers for a moment. inhaling for a moment, he ignored the bar for a moment, reaching for the brunette’s hands he laced his fingers with hers. “ while i’m on a roll… “ he swallowed as the hazel of his eyes met hers. “ and because this doesn’t count… will you ⸺ go on a date with me? “ they had to have their first sometime no? a moment that was solely about them, and not anyone else. it has also all been years in the making, he’d known the second he saw her again, and all of those years spent comparing everyone he met to her. “ i love you, and… “ he was rambling, so he pressed her lips to hers in order to center himself. “ i just mean…i’d like to show you, how much… if you’d like. “

[hellonexrth]

"You just know all the right things to say, don't you?" she teased. This was there first event or even outing together as, well, whatever they were now, and Kaya loved how it felt. Being with him as a friend had always made everything easier, but being with him like this? It was like that feeling had been turned up to eleven. She almost forgot completely that her life decisions had been violently ripped away from her.

"Oh my god, Theo. Who knew you were so charming?" she said with a giggle and a blush, feeling like the most beautiful woman in the room when she was next to him. "And so hot," she ran her hands over his upper arms. "I didn't even know you had this outfit. You look..." she trailed off, a chill running through her when he whispered in her ear, and then her eyes found, her mouth half agape. How had she never seen this side him before? It only reminded her how absolutely, head over heels in love with him she was. If only she'd been able to admit it earlier. At least now they had eternity to make up for the lost time. She looked her bare wrist, pretending to check the time. "How long do you think this party's going to go anyways? I mean, who would really miss us if we just?" She stuck a thumb up, pointing it toward the door. Not that they could actually leave. Hope and Ingrid, Ingrid especially, would feel betrayed. "Hm...." she said, looking at the drink menu. "Either something fruity and girly or bubbly, like champagne."

" THE VERY BEST I'D say, but rumor has it that i might be biased. " he joked with a scrunch of his nose. forehead dipping into hers for a second, as a hand came up to twirl a strand of her curls between his fingers. the way that she could make him feel like HIMSELF had to be something that was studied, because around her the curse that was immortality seemed to weigh less than it did when his mind kept him up at night. and perhaps that was the answer to his ever growing bitterness ⸺ holding on tight, to the one source of pure happiness he had. she caught her lips in a kiss once again, a hand resting over her cheeks, before he tangled it in her hair. " how about a dance then? " he questioned with a scrunch of his nose. " if we're stuck here, i may as well show off the PRETTIEST girl in the room. " and that would always stand true regardless of who tried to argue otherwise. a smirk on his features as their fingers laced together, his mouth close to her ear. " you and me, after party... it's a date. " he whispered before pressing a kiss to her cheek and pulling her towards the dance floor. if they kept busy maybe then the night would move a little faster and they'd get to do what they wanted and that was be ALONE with each other. looking over at the bar he examined the drink menu for a second. " so.. fancy any particular poison for the night? "

[hellonexrth]

As soon as his arms were wrapped around her, everything felt just a little bit better. The internal struggle that continued to wage war against her self of sense quieted. Tilting her head to the side and taking in his sparkling attire, she couldn't help but smile. It didn't matter what they were. The complicated emotions she'd felt before her admission of love were absent, and she was able to just look at him with adoration and that same love and know that it was returned.

The kiss was quick, but the hellhound could have gotten lost in it completely, all of her thoughts and strife melting away more and more at his touch. So she leaned it, like putty in his hands. "I guess that means I'm very good at my job," she said, a feigned sense of pride crossing her features. She'd given herself two assignments for the night—no one had asked her to do anything but enjoy herself. First and foremost, she was to make sure everyone was having a good time. There would be no time for stress, conflict, or heaven forbid, fighting. And secondly, she'd taken it upon herself to ensure that absolutely no one got into the venue that didn't belong. If needed, she'd remove them herself. Even if it meant breaking rule number one in the process. This was a huge moment for her best friend, and she wasn't going to let anyone get in the way of that, not even herself.

She giggled at his words, wanting nothing more than to escape with him to some far off place where they could just be simple humans with no responsibilities. It seemed so out of the question now, and it hit her then that they'd never grow old together. That Hope and The Collective had taken that chance from them. The smile dropped from her lips for half a second before she plastered it back on, beaming at her best friend and love. "You're right, you should just steal me away. And I'd love it if you showed me a good time." She bit her bottom lip, looking at him and wanting nothing more than to pull him into some dark room and kiss him absolutely senseless, to drown herself in him. One of her hands dropped from around him to thread together with his, standing up on her toes to press a soft kiss to his lips, then to his cheek. "Unfortunately," she said, followed by a dramatic sigh. "We have to be good friends for at least a few hours, but there's always after." She batted her lashes at him and then tugged on his hand, pulling him toward the bar.

CELEBRATING A WEDDING OF now all things felt bizarre, but the vampire had come to find that seizing the moment while they could was probably a good philosophy to live by. and despite his ever growing frustration and bitterness that came with his NEW state, and the source of it ⸺ theodore could be happy for his friends, especially his BEST FRIEND. without the vampire, he surely wouldn’t have been here.

and so he focused on that, moving about the party in a pair of sparkling black pants and sweater to match, he’s said his hello’s and mingled with one thing on his mind, the dazzling brunette who seemed to have taken a liking to disappearing. and then he heard her, his arms instantly wrapped around her waist, holding her tightly to him. “ hey there, pretty girl.. “ he mused, with a light bump of his nose against hers.

she was by all means what GROUNDED him and even if they hadn’t exactly defined what this new direction of their relationship meant. the salvatore boy couldn’t help but be ecstatic about finally having her in his arms. and so he leaned forward and captured her lips with his for a few seconds before pulling back.studying her for a moment, his chin tilted ⸺ he knew her and he knew her well, but now did not seem the time to bring his concern up. “ the most professional, and the most charm.. i mean you’ve got me feeling real welcome. “ he kissed her again. “ but i’m sick of sharing your attention, with these people.. i should just steal you away.. “ he declared with a wiggle of his brows. “ now that’s what i’d define as a REAL good time. “