#tvd fanart | Explore Tumblr Posts and Blogs

accidentalslayer · 10 months

Text

Word Count: 1,952

Warnings: N/A for this chapter. Future chapters will explore darker elements, though

Author's Notes: New project, who dis?? Recently fandom-switched to Vampire Diaries/Originals & was inspired to write a little piece about two OCs interacting at the Mystic Grill.

From there on, the plot took hold of my soul, and now I'm writing a fic. Again. Lol.

Pairing: Yandere!Elijah & Klaus Mikaelson x Fem!Reader (eventually)

Summary: Vincent Webb returns to Mystic Falls, Virginia after many years of avoiding his hometown. He decides to catch up with an old flame at the Grill only to be interrupted by his high school arch-nemesis: Richard Lockwood. How awkward for Vince! 🤣

Recommended Song: "Half of my Hometown" by: Kelsea Ballerini

Chapter One: The Prodigal Son

[October 1st, 1991

Mystic Falls, Virginia]

It hadn't changed. Not one bit. More than 5 years had passed without Vincent Webb, yet Mystic Falls was the same shit hole as it'd been on the day he'd skipped town. 'Like a mosquito caught in amber', he mused to himself, a grimace on his face, 'Or something else that refuses to change despite the march of time'. God was not without his keen sense of irony when he made this place, it seemed, and Vincent was glad that he had left right after graduating from MFHS. Glad that he'd gotten out of Virginia to explore the world. Away from any monster that went bump in the night...

But now, fate had brought him back to Mystic Falls.

The first thing Vincent did when he'd crossed the town line was visit the cemetery where his father laid and took a piss on the old man's tombstone. The second thing he did (immediately afterward) was shoot off a text: 'Hey, you free tonight? Meet you at our usual spot, be there in 30 minutes,' to his ex-girlfriend, Grace. The only woman to have ever stolen his heart or gotten him to consider a future in driving a family minivan around. That's how he'd ended up here at the Grill, tucked away within its backmost lobby, nursing a scotch past twelve. Observing his high-school nemesis, Richard Lockwood, as he flirted shamelessly in front of Carol Lockwood with their young, pretty waitress two booths over. No, some things never changed in Mystic Falls.

Footsteps approached his table. A pair of heels judging from the sound of their clacking on the polished wood floor. His eyes flicked downward to spy an all-too-familiar toe ring that he'd once bought for the girl that he'd loved as a teenager. Grace had arrived. And with her arrival, the ache of nostalgia in his chest. Vincent took a gulp of his drink to steady his nerves as she slid into the seat opposite of him.

"You know," he said, tone casual, "I thought Rich was always gonna end up with that Forbes chick. Not Carol. Remember how annoying they were in sophomore year making out during gym? Blech!! But, I guess he still likes blondes. Carol, though? Awful."

Grace rolled her sapphire eyes, "It's been YEARS, Vince, and /this/ is what you wanna lead with??? Not: 'Gee golly, Grace! I'm sorry for disappearing on you when you needed me, let me clarify what happened the night I literally vanished without a trace so I can take the years of STRESS I caused you off your shoulders! Forgive me, I'm a stupid fucking piece of shit, Grace'-"

"Grace-"

His ex's voice rose above his own, "-Grace, I know I don't deserve your forgiveness or your understanding. I'm so, so, so, sooooo very lucky that you're even talking to me right now! Grace, I'm going to spend the rest of my life making it up to you, Grace-"

"Gracey-"

"-'Gracey', WHAT, Vincent?!"

Vincent looked pained when he answered her, regret etched in every wrinkle, and crease on his brow:

"You're right. I'm a piece of shit, Grace. I'm sorry. I shouldn't have left you the way I did back then. It's just...some family stuff happened after the accident. And I couldn't talk about it to anyone at the time. I didn't mean to hurt you. Honest truth, that wasn't my intention."

Deep, oceanic blues narrowed upon him. Grace stared at Vincent for a few breathless moments (skeptically, silently) as if attempting to bore a hole through his soul by sheer force of will.

"UGH, I can't stay mad at you!" she relented in a sudden huff, "I'm just glad you're alive. You have no clue how worried I was about you! We were all worried about you! There was a rumor that you'd died, Vince. That some kind of animal had gotten you out in the woods!"

A shadow fell over Vincent's face. He mumbled another apology to his ex, "Grace, I mean it. I'm sorry. I really truly am..."

"That's alright, Vince. It's water under the bridge now," she replied, grabbing the Grill's menu that lay on the table between them and browsing the selections, "Besides, you're going to buy me ALL the expensive booze I want tonight, anyways."

"Wait, I'm gonna WHAT??"

Grace snickered mischievously, then imitated his casual tone from before, "Payback, ya know? It's a thirsty bitch, Vince."

When Vincent met Grace Baker, it was freshman year of high school, and he'd just gotten swirlied by Logan Fell. While he was drying his hair with a paper towel in the men's bathroom, Grace had wandered out of its corner stall, gripping a pint of (half-drunk) Jack Daniels. Wearing that same cheeky grin she was wearing now, Grace offered him some, mentioning that: 'nerds like them had to stick together'. Tonight, the two of them were completing an ancient circle. This time around, it was Vincent's turn to buy the drinks.

Grace made his wallet hurt. She chose every ale and IPA off the reserve menu, then moved onto taking shots. Vincent tried to enjoy the moment, knowing full well that he was going to regret it all tomorrow. One way or another.

Their table piled up quickly with empty glasses, cups, and pitchers. As it did, their conversation grew more nostalgic. Both of them blamed it on the quality of the liquor.

"They hired a better fucking bartender since I've been gone! Do you remember the shit that David used to make for us back in the day?"

"Oh yeah!! We called it, uhhhh, "Witch's Brew" or something like that, right? It tasted so nasty but man did it fuck us up! Jodie could NOT hold that stuff down, though. Remember when she puked all over Mrs. Bennett's rug after Prom Party at the Grill?? And then we had to clean it up before she got home?"

"How could I forget?! Hahaha! I'm still scrubbing burger chunks out of my memory to this day!"

"Gross."

Their conversation grew more sentimental. They blamed it on how long it had been since either of them talked...

"You know, you were the only one back then who I could ever really be myself around. You just got me somehow. It was like we were...connected or something. Oh my God, that sounds corny as all fuck now that I say it, hahaha!"

"No, no, no, noooo! Not corny. Not corny for even a minute. Grace, I felt the same way. I didn't have to pretend around you. I could just be myself..."

"Same! We had our own language."

"Pig Latin. We used to make Mr. Brown SO MAD when he couldn't read our notes to the class. He was such a nosey prick back then!"

"Haha, yeah!! Yeah, he fucking was!! Remember when you literally ate your detention slip in front of him and he nearly had an aneurysm?! The little vein in his forehead was popping out, hahaha!!"

"Is Mr. Brown still teaching?"

"Naaahhh. Fired for taking pictures of his female students."

"Ha! Called it. I knew that guy was a creep!"

Their conversation grew more dangerous. They'd both blame it on themselves (and on each other) in the morning. One of them would swear that it had never happened at all.

"Our first date: do you remember where you took me??"

"Oh man, putting me on the spot. Uuuuhh, it was Fell's Church. We went to Fell's Church because I thought I was being edgy and cool. But you. You, uhhh, you said-"

"-I said the place smelt like raw ass so we left. We went to Grove Hill afterward. To that antique Bed and Breakfast for coffee."

"Yeah! Oh jeeze, that wasn't my best moment. It was the first date I'd ever had. I didn't know what girls wanted..."

"Get out!! Really?!"

"Serious as daylight."

"Do you ever...regret it? Even just a tiny bit? Your first date being with me? I-I know how much you loved Mercy-"

"I would've married you. I would've married you right after graduation."

"Oh..."

"Things just got in the way. Please, understand I never wanted to-"

Grace flinched. The warmth and approachability she'd possessed only a moment ago evaporated, replaced by a mask of ice. A practiced smile that didn't quite reach her eyes curved across her red lips. She put down her drink (a little forcefully on the table), feigning indifference while she spoke. But it was obvious that she wasn't happy with his heart-felt confession one bit.

"Look, Vincent," Grace said, shrugging, "We're all grown up now. We've made our own choices. You don't have to justify yourself to me, okay? Really. You don't! It's been YEARS since high school. As much as I miss it, I've moved on from ruminating about what could've been. And this surprise visit has been great, but... I really just want to get this over with so we can go back to our own lives. I'm missing Movie Night with my kids."

It was Vincent's turn to flinch now. Suddenly, he felt old. Like somehow, life had passed him by in the span of a blink.

"K-kids? You have kids??" He croaked, "When did that happen? How many do you...?"

Grace laughed, "Very first year into college! How scandalous, right?? Aaaand I've got two; an older son and a daughter. Alexander and Dawn. Dawn just had her birthday a couple of days ago. It was Beauty and the Beast themed. She was dressed up as Belle. She's been in a "princess everything" phase ever since she watched Sleeping Beauty. My son, though? He just really likes playing Street Fighter."

"Who's the-"

Vincent's mouth seemed to have trouble forming the words despite his best efforts. He pressed on valiantly, though...

"-the, ya know? The uh, father? Is he...?"

Grace flattened instantly. She sighed, rubbing at her forehead as if she had a big headache, "Just tell me why you're here, Vince. Tell me why you'd come back to Mystic Falls after all these years?? You haven't said a word to me since graduation! No, since before the accident! And you decide to appear tonight? Out of the blue? Just...randomly for shits and giggles? No, no. What's really going on, Vin-"

Two voices sliced through Grace's question and stole the moment:

"It's Vincent Webb!!"

"My, my! It IS! And with Grace Baker too!"

Both Vincent and Grace cringed as soon as they heard the sound. Memories flooded back to their previous lives in high school. And the humiliation they'd suffered together at the hands of the ones who'd just interrupted them; Richard Lockwood and his (now) wife, Carol Lockwood. Grace stood up immediately to leave. Vincent tried his best to follow suit but was stopped when Rich sat down in the empty space next to him, blocking off his escape route and locking him into the booth until Rich decided otherwise. Carol did the same with Grace.

"Well, I'll be damned!" Rich exclaimed, flashing a toothy smile at Vincent, "Aren't you a blast from the past?! I haven't seen you around my town in YEARS! And Grace, lovely to see you as always. How are your little ones doing?? What about that rambunctious son of yours?"

Carol laughed and subtly displayed the wedding ring she wore as she did so, "Oh, it's just like high school again! Isn't it, Rich?"

"Indeed," Rich agreed all too readily, "except I'm not giving this ol' boy here a flushie, hahaha! No, I kid, though. This man took his licks like a man! Isn't that right, Vince?".

Grace and Vincent exchanged helpless, annoyed glances between each other...

It was going to be a long night.

35 notes · View notes