LIMERENCE, stefan salvatore

vi. a blinding fondness

1864

AS HIS CARRIAGE WAS PULLED through the small town, Zachary peered eagerly out of the windows. He was relishing in the freedom he felt from travelling by himself. All he could hear was the clopping of hooves against the worn dirt path; no nagging, no fighting, no threatening to be daggered and left in a box for a few decades. It was peaceful - and Zachary had absorbed as much peace he had could in the time he had without his siblings. 

He knew they would all be mad at him for it, murderous even, for leaving them. But Zachary had simply had enough of them all. The last straw was Niklaus daggering Rebekah for simply falling in love and refusing to take the dagger out of Kol, despite Zachary's begging. He missed his siblings. It wasn't fair that two of them were so often locked away from him and that one hadn't been free in centuries. Zachary had left soon after that. He just hoped they'd be too reluctant to leave their home in New Orleans to bother coming after him. 

Zachary was free to do as he pleased, which meant travel and explore wherever he wanted. It was the best he'd felt in years.

And yet, with all the places he had been over the last two decades of his freedom, he found himself the most curious of this one particular small town. Maybe because it was built over the lands where he had grown up, but he couldn't help how eager he was to explore the new town of Mystic Falls.

So when his carriage was pulled to a slow stop, Zachary had to refrain himself from leaping out of the carriage as it appeared he had a bit of an audience. He waited until his driver opened the door for him before climbing out of the carriage.

After straightening out his coat, he lifted his head and paused at the small group of three people waiting who must have noticed his arrival.

It wasn't long before one of the boys had been ushered forward to introduce himself to him.

"Welcome to Mystic Falls." Zachary heard, lifting his head at the sudden voice getting closer. He paused at the face in front of him. His heart flickered at the polite smile that graced the man's lips. He was beautiful by all standards: sharp features, pale chestnut hair that had been combed to one side. Zachary could only imagine just how soft those locks would feel if he ran his fingers through him. It was his eyes that Zachary was focused on the most however; those eyes coloured a deep jade, like the leaves that grew at the very top of a tree, blooming as the warm summer blessed them with light. He wanted to stare at them all day. Thankfully, his trance broke as the young man spoke again.

"I'm Stefan Salvatore." The man greeted him, offering out a hand to him. "It's nice to meet you, Mr..."

"Kingsley," Zachary smiled, shaking his hand as his eyes continued to flicker over the man's face. "Zachary Kingsley."

"What can we do for you, Mr Kingsley?"

"It appears I am in need of somewhere to stay." Zachary blurted out the first thing that came to his head. He wasn't a huge of lying, so he decided to stick as close to the truth as he could. "My family have been most difficult lately and I desperately needed a break from their bickering, but it seems I didn't fully think through where I was going to go, nor stay."

"I see." Stefan nodded, his eyes lighting up in understanding. Zachary couldn't help but wonder what this man's life was like and he found himself overly eager to find out. "Well, we do have rooms to spare but I will have to check with my father first. May I introduce you to him?"

"That would be most helpful, thank you." Zachary smiled at him respectfully, holding back the giddy smile that was tugging at his lips at the kindness this boy possessed. Zachary felt light for the first time in a while, like he carried no burdens and held no secrets. It was strange and unfamiliar but all Zachary wanted to do was soak up that warm gaze and hold onto that feeling forever.