strangers

Standing behind the bar, resting on the counter behind him, he could feel Hector’s eyes boring into him from afar. Just how his dad would whenever Lawrence was trying to learn a new spell. Hanging off every syllable and yelling if his son muttered something wrong. In the end it was a waste of time. Being taught spells and rituals he was never going to use past the age of 19. Lessons that were then forced upon his younger sister, unbeknown she was bound to follow the same path as her brother, except she made it to the age of 21 before having her magic taken.

Hector had barely left the bar over the past few days, keeping a close eye on his employees. Lawrence had grown tired of trying to argue it was just a one off. He had been working at Emerald City long before it turned into the classy bar it presented itself as nowadays. He was here when blood rained from the ceiling and stepping over a body every five minutes was normal.

Finally the other vampire left as it was creeping into the early hours of the morning. Lawrence waited until he saw Hector disappear out the door before reaching for a bottle of whiskey from the top shelf. The good stuff.

With his eyes trained on the door he hadn’t noticed the female who had appeared at the bar.

“Gimme an old fashioned.”

His gaze jumped from the door to the stranger, taking him a few seconds to process what she asked for, which followed a ‘please’ and a quick flutter of the eyelashes. “Of course” Lawrence flashed her a warm smile before turning back, with a bottle of whiskey already in his hand he made himself a drink as well.

“Do you want to start a tab?” He placed both glasses down, pushing one towards her gently, “I’ll only charge you for our basic whiskey eh” It was his decision to reach for the top shelf liquor, but also a slight ‘fuck you’ at Hector. “Are you new to town or passing though?” She was a new face in the bar. A face he hadn’t seen around Mystic Falls either.

PENNY BARTLETT

From a human who used to heave at the smell of alcohol to a vampire knocking shots back behind a bar. His life as a vampire was full of firsts, after living a sheltered life for so long with no desire to explore what lay beyond Elk Valley, unlike his sister who was itching to get out from a young age. He never understood her to need to leave where they grew up. They had everything they ever needed, what else could be out there for them? Apart from danger according to their parents. The world was full of darkness and the only place they were safe was with the coven. It took him a while to realize it was all brainwashing bullshit.

“Well I can’t let you drink alone, can I?” A smile formed on his lips as he picked her glass up. Gorgeous company. A shy laugh from him and if it was possible his cheeks would have been flushing a fair shade of pink. The last woman he had sitting on the other side of the bar having drinks with was Hannya. “Please tell me you’re not a demon” There was something that told him she wasn’t. For starters, she had a warmer approach and didn’t look dead behind the eyes. Sometimes he’d look at Hannya and it was almost as if there was nothing there. It made him shudder. He mirrored the female, taking a large sip from his glass.

He nodded, agreed with her comment. Mystic Falls was small, sometimes a little too small. Everyone knew everyone. “You say that now. Next minute you’re renting a small one bedroom apartment and working in a bar that only caters to the supernatural” The sole reason he came to Mystic Falls was for the Salvatore School, but instead he made a friend for life and was reunited with his presumed dead sister.

The vampire took another sip of his drink, resting his upper body on the bar as he swallowed harshly. Soon as the liquor left his mouth he laughed at her comment, “If I’m not on this side of the bar you can usually find me on your side” As she said, it was a small town with little to do. “I’ve been living here a few years, but originally from Canada” The accent wasn’t always a dead giveaway. “What about you? What’s your story” He reached for the bottle, topping up her drink before his own, “I’m Lawrence” Her secured the lid back on the bottle, placing it back down on the bar.


PENNY BARTLETT

Relationships had never been his strong point. One forced on him, skipping all the key stages of development. Grace was just a sweet girl from the coven whose parents were keen to have her as the next leader and his parents considered her a good fit out of the other potential young girls in the coven. Lawrence’s input into the whole situation was minimal, his mom assuring him they knew what was best for him. Ultimately it was Rosie who pushed him into avoiding relationships. The way in which he was so infatuated with her he followed her into the darkness was terrifying. The fact someone else was able to control him that deeply put a wedge between him and getting too close to another.

That’s why he liked what he and Hannya had, to an extent. Although she still managed to get under his skin exposing his need for human blood.


“Um” Lawrence only laughed when the female did, “Sorry. Classic moment of speaking before I think… there’s a lot of demons in this town and I was just checking if you were one of them” He paused for a moment, before quickly speaking again, “Which is fine if you are… but also fine if you’re not, and...” Was he digging himself further into the hole he’d just dug? However, he was conscious that he was talking a bit too much. “No demon ex-girlfriends and I’m not that bad at flirting” At least he’d never considered himself to be an awful flirt.

The rambling apology may have worked as he felt her fingers brush over the edge of his hand, her eyes locked into his. He had been too focused on making their drinks that he had not properly looked at her. Lawrence wanted to throw her compliment back at her. Gorgeous.

“Penny...”— Cute name.

His hand remained flat on the counter, digits moving slowly as Penny started to play with them. His free hand brought his glass up for a sip. Lawrence was still wary of Penny, but last time he asked a woman what her intentions were he was told vampires were too paranoid. “Well there’s a fully stocked bar behind me”

Lawrence took a large mouthful of his drink as he listened to Penny relay her story. “Scotland sounds nice” He commented, or at least the pictures of the internet made it look nice. Some areas remind him of Elk Valley. The ruralness. He smiled shyly as he noticed Penny’s cheeks flush, he glanced down at his drink for a second, before looking back at her. “Spent a number of decades in New Orleans. Visited a few places along the west coast, but I’ve never left North America” The thought of stepping outside the continent was a daunting one. Somewhat sheltered even as a vampire, clinging onto comfort and familiarity.

Being a bartender was never a path he intended to choose, but fell into so easily. People hiring tended to ask less questions than those corporate jobs. “It’s not easy getting a job as a vampire” At least in the bar he could be himself, rather than hiding behind the lie that he was human. “When I started here the only requirements were to be immortal and hold yourself in a fight” Back in the days where violence was a common occurrence every night. It was bliss coming into work now knowing the majority of the evening was going to be calm.

Another large mouthful of his drink before topping it again, one hand still on the bar playing with Penny’s fingers. The old fashioned was slowly becoming straight whiskey, “If you plan on staying here another week we’re having a Halloween party here and upstairs next Saturday. Unfortunately, fancy dress is compulsory… if you’re free?” He tilted the bottle towards Penny, silently offering another top up.



PENNY BARTLETT

Sometimes it was hard to differentiate between the females who were genuinely interested in you or were there for the free or discounted drinks. It was easier to humour them sometimes, having nothing else to do especially when it was creeping into the early hours of the morning. Upstairs, Lawrence did his best not to engage in conversation with customers. Humans leaning over the bar, bellowing their order into his ear as if he couldn’t hear them anyway. It was the same in New Orleans, as he actively avoided anywhere that advertised to the tourists. Although they did make a good meal at the end of the night. Mystic Falls was too small for such behaviour. Downstairs it was easier, knowing the other person belonged in the same world he lived in. Immortal.

The conversation was flowing between the pair. She teased that she might attend the Halloween party, even suggesting she could show him new places. The longer they spoke the more it became apparent she was older than him. Considerable older, but it was rude to ask a woman’s age (at least that’s what his mom told him). Penny didn’t even tell him what she was, leaving Lawrence wondering.

She wasn’t mortal though, putting away just as much alcohol as he was without so much as a slur. He wouldn’t need to peel her up off the bathroom floor in an hour or two. It kept him guessing even more.

Penny appeared to be one of the females who were genuinely interested, but still, it was difficult to trust anyone who walked through those doors into the bar. It didn’t exactly attract good people at times.

The two bounced between topics, before falling back on the subject of Mystic Falls. Lawrence wasn’t exactly trying to sell the town, but he was explaining to Penny it wasn’t as bad as it seemed. He quickly skimmed over the fact there was a school nearby for the supernatural, to try and coax her age out of her, but Penny wasn’t bending. Suddenly he became conscious that it was his voice filling the space between them, worried he was talking too much he slowly fell quiet.

He watched as Penny glided her tongue over his finger, his eyes locked on hers as she did so. She edged forward towards his face and Lawrence also moved forward a fraction. The gap closed between the two as her lips met his. He broke into a small smile as they parted. He laughed nervously, “Nothing to be sorry about it’s fine” — More than fine.

No doubt Hector would have a few words to say if he watched the CCTV back. At least it wasn’t Hannya.



PENNY BARTLETT