you & i | rebekah mikaelson

09|CRYING WOLF

Grayson leans against the headboard of her bed, the comforter pulled up to her chin and the curtains pulled closed. Her lips twitch into somewhat of a smile when she hears Andie and Damon trailing somewhere through the house, presumably to the front door.

"He's writing a book on small-town Virginia," Andie informs Damon. "It's a big snooze."

"Writer?" Damon repeats, his tone laced with confusion. "What's his name?"

There's a pause where Grayson assumes Andie got momentarily distracted before replying, "Uh, Elijah Smith."

"Smith," Damon mutters to himself in distaste. "He's using Smith?"

There's a quiet shuffle aiming toward the door once again and Grayson rolls her eyes, sinking further into the mattress.

"Okay," Damon chirps. "You have your story straight in your mind, right?"

"I can't say that you bit me or drank my blood, just that we hit it off and I really like you,"

Grayson snorts. "That's a first," she mumbles to herself.

Damon clears his throat from downstairs, muttering something unintelligible to Grayson.

"You are terrific, though." Andie pipes up. "You're sweet, funny, you're honest."

Honest, Grayson mocks the woman's words.

There's another moment of silence until, "And you're falling hard." His voice sounds blank, so the Hunt girl knows he's compelling the woman.

It's confirmed when the news anchor sighs wistfully, "You might be the one."

"Perfect," Damon chirps.

The front door opens and Grayson shifts as hears another heartbeat in the threshold of the door. "Have a great day, honey."

There's a smack of two lips touching where Damon and Andie kiss for a short second, the woman pulling away and letting out a surprised noise at the new presence. "Oh," she breathes. "Hey, Alaric. Later."

Grayson perks up the slightest bit at the sound of Alaric's name, but remains buried in the blankets.

"My new girlfriend," Damon tells Alaric, sounding awfully smug for someone who has to compel said girlfriend. "Andie Star, action news."

"It's not called action news," Ric replies in agitation.

"I know," the vampire says. "I just like saying it. Come on."

"Where's Grayson?"

Damon hesitates. "Still asleep,"

The woman in question barks out a laugh. "Good one, genius."

"Actually," Damon begins with an amused tone. "She's upstairs sulking."

Grayson eyebrows furrow in irritation and she swiftly slips out of her bed, a chill sweeping across her skin from leaving the warmth. "Sulking my ass," she snaps. A chuckle from Damon makes Grayson quicken her pace downstairs, stopping at the bottom of the stairs.

"Well," Ric sighs. "It's understandable, I mean...she did kill someone. I hope she's coping okay,"

Grayson, standing behind the man without him knowing, announces her appearance with a simple, "thanks."

Alaric smiles awkwardly, Grayson lingers between the two men, and Damon leaves them to walk into the parlor silently. Damon dramatically exhales, making Grayson and Ric think they're needed, and then stares at them until the duo decide to follow him.