𝐒𝐩𝐢𝐤𝐞 𝐘𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐃𝐫𝐢𝐧𝐤

- - -
❝ 'Cause girls like you run' round with guys like me
'Til sun down when I come through ❞

Girls Like You
~ Maroon 5
- - -

Harried, yet smiling, Kat walks out of her father's car. Jenna insisted on parking the car and stealing into the party from the back instead of through the radar. 

Despite not having time to dress in leisure, Kat felt a surge of beauty maker her smile from within. Apparently Caroline wasn't joking when she said 'Violet rocks Violet', because Elena couldn't have possibly pulled off this dress with her hat. Her curly hair fluttered till her waist from under her hat as she click-clacked in her stilettos towards the grand door of the Lockwood Mansion. 

It was a house she was welcomed and used to spending her time in. She had many memories of Mason and his time with her and Tyler in that very house. When Mason left town, Tyler just preferred to crash at hers after a game night instead of having to talk to his dad. But Kat was a Gilbert, and a friend of Caroline's. So it was safe to say that she was dragged along to organize every party in the Mayor's mansion— which seemed to be every other week. Since Caroline planned this one with Mrs. Lockwood, Kat expected to find her best friend somewhere inside the walls - ordering the caterers around. 

Just as Kat walked behind some other people in front of the threshold, Stefan and Elena intercept her, "Kat, you're late!"

She smirks, tipping her hat with a slight wink, "I prefer the term fashionably timed, and oh," she raises her eyebrows at her twin, "I told you the orange is your color today,"

Stefan rolls his eyes as Elena tightens her hold on him. Kat saw Stefan, okay maybe she more than just saw Stefan, but all she knew was that she didn't have words to describe him. It was Stefan's first party in Mystic Falls in this decade (at least) and oh boy did he look dressed to kill. It wasn't just his sharp black suit that made Kat's eyes widen— it was him. Stefan was at ease, oozing confidence and gentleman aura like a billion bucks. And it was one of the first time Kat actually saw the little dimples on his cheek very close to his lips when he smiled.

Kat chuckled awkwardly to cover up where her thoughts were taking her as they all proceeded towards the line at the door. She was beside Stefan, on the other side as her twin. However, instead of unabashedly hanging onto Stefan's hand like Elena, Kat's both hands gripped her clutch tightly. 

Lowering her head, she whispers to Stefan, "Is Damon here?"

Speak of the Devil and he shall appear. Before Stefan could answer, Damon's smug voice rings behind her, making her jump, "Hello Katherine."

"Damon! And Ca —..." her eyes widen in surprise, "... roline ..."

What was Damon still doing with Caroline? Kat was so confident in her earlier gift of vervain to her, that she completely dismissed even the idea of ​​Damon being Caroline's plus one.

"Hey you," Kat hugs Caroline instead of just pecking her (as they all were taught) - she wanted her friend away from Damon. " I thought, your mom was gonna be here? " She whispers into Caroline's ears, subtly ignoring Damon's glare.

If Caroline was scared, she didn't know, simply giving a charming smile as she waved it off with a roll of her eyes. They all reached the threshold where they exchanged greetings with the hosts to go on inside.

"Hi, Mayor Lockwood, Mrs. Lockwood, that dress looks so good on you," Kat smiles, air-kissing her cheeks with a subtly hid eye-roll at the strong deluge of perfume emanating from the Mayor's wife.

"Oh thank you darling, you sisters look lovely tonight. Come on in" she beckons them. Stefan and Elena go in, followed by Damon and Caroline. And Kat was left standing there by the door. This was the moment Kat realized where she screwed up. 

She was dateless to the first party of the year.

Times like these especially made her wish Mason were here to wave off the issue. It wasn't that she wanted to be the eye candy over a boy's arm but it never hurt to have a male companion to save the lecture from a screechy Carol Lockwood. So this is why Jenna insisted on sneaking in.

Oh shit.

Kat barely sighed, trying to hide her sheepishness behind a million watt Kat Gilbert smile. Nodding a bit too proudly at the Lockwoods, she stepped inside confidently. She won't need a counterpart to attend a small party. Bleh.

However, imagine everyone's surprise when two sturdy arms loop around hers the moment she enters. Kat frowned at Damon's gentle hold on her. Surely that is meant to be a threat? Stefan, on her other side, gently squeezed her elbow, bringing her attention back to him. 

Elena glared at her, more precisely glaring at both the men on Kat's arms. Caroline chuckled from where she stood with her arm in Damon's other one.

"Uh-hmm," Kat cleared her throat for a start, "Um, thank you gentlemen, uh, I'll ..." she looked to her twin in apology. But the only response she got from Elena was an irritated huff. "I'll get going then. See you around Stefan. Care?"

"Yes Kat?" the blonde smirked, her tongue poking out her cheek as an attempt to bite back something she thought. At least she was being sportive.

"How about we grab a drink?"

Kat's eyes drift to Damon, who smiles grimly without showing his teeth. He grabbed Caroline's hand while giving her a focused look, "Actually ... We'll go dance, hmm honey?"

Surprising Damon, Caroline rolled her eyes as she detached her arm from his nonchalantly, "Oh we can do that later too, excuse me Stefan ..." she took Kat's hand from Stefan with a sly insinuation, "Come on, let's go Kat ! " 

Swiftly rushing out of there, Kat looked over her shoulder, throwing Damon's smirky smile right back at him. 

He underestimated her love for Caroline.

▻▻▻

It took Caroline an entire hour to get the teasing lilt out of her voice. She joked and messed around with Kat as both of them helped themselves to some of Tyler's personal ice cream stash along with Tyler. According to Caroline, Damon was a pity plus-one. Caroline had actually told him to not come back after he dropped her off at the school that day before cheerleading practice. But, somehow he found his way into her surroundings every time she spoke of the party.

An hour later, Bonnie left to find her father. Care and Kat too got out of hiatus to blend in at the party. When they finally descended, they found Elena and the Salvatore brothers in the room across the dance floor. 

Elena squinted with a small smile as she reads one of the antique pages on display "The founding families in Mystic Falls welcomes you to the inaugural founder's council celebration... Wow, look, it's the original guest registry. Look at all these familiar names— Sheriff William Forbes, Mayor Benjamin Lockwood. Is that..." she frowned in confusion as she read the next two names, "...Damon Salvatore? And... Stefan Salvatore?"

Kat's froze as she read the registry and the signatures for herself. Sure enough, there were signatures of one Giuseppe Salvatore, Damon Salvatore and Stefan Salvatore. All of their names scrawled in archaic ink were right there. Kat looks to Stefan, whose jaw flexes in annoyance at his past once again.

Fortunately for the younger brother, Damon covered up, "They were the original Salvatore brothers. Our ancestors... Tragic story actually,"

"We don't need to bore them with stories of the past Damon," Stefan mildly tries to suppress his glare. 

But Elena scoffs supportively, "It's not boring, Stefan. I'd love to hear more about your family" She makes her dewy eyes at Stefan and Caroline jumped right in with a pout, "Well, I'm bored. I want to dance. And Damon won't dance with me," 

Damon shook his head, "Mh-hmm, you should've danced when I asked you," 

The reply just made Kat bristle but Caroline just rolled her eyes and turned to Elena, "Could I just borrow your date?"

Kat tried to not laugh at Elena's wide gaze which flit between Caroline and Stefan, to eventually find her sandals very interesting. She shrugged, "Oh, uh..."

"—I don't really dance. Right Vivi?" Stefan intervened, his eyebrows begging the elder twin to play along.

The girl actually felt a swell of pity for Stefan at that moment. Because, when Stefan made her his best friend in all of Mystic Falls, he was essentially signing over his dignity and the ability to save face. Best friends exist to tease the heck out of you, one would think a century and half on this Earth would have taught Stefan Salvatore that.

Kat shook her head innocently, raising her hands in defeat, "How am I supposed to know? I think we need to test that theory Broody," She nudged him into Caroline's arms with a wink.

"Sorry, but I'm not taking no for an answer" Caroline smiled, dragging him off. He looked back with a glare as if to say 'you're marked'. Kat blew him a silly raspberry. He should have been more cautious.

Just when Stefan is not around them, Damon placed a light hand on the small of Kat's back, making her  immediately go as rigid as an ice-block.

"I want to apologize to you for being such a world-class jerk the other night" he looks from her warning eyes to Elena, "—When I tried to kiss you. There's no excuse. My therapist says I'm... acting out, trying to take Stefan's friends away from him,"

Kat grunted in building irritation, "I swear D-"

"For what?" Elena frowns, hooked by the matter of Stefan's relationship with his brother. 

"It's all in the past," Damon offered, "I don't even want to bring it up. Let's just say that the men in the Salvatore family have been cursed with sibling rivalry. And it all started with the original Salvatore brothers" he waved to the registry. 

Kat grabbed another glass of champagne and walks away tot the other corner of the room, still keeping an eye on her sister and Damon. She needed either more alcohol or more ice cream to get through this evening. Considering Caroline and Kat had just finished Tyler's spiked ice cream, champagne it was. 

In the hall, she saw Stefan and Caroline swaying. Somehow Stefan was slowly swaying to the beat the band was playing, throwing a few looks at Kat once in a while. Oh how she was the one in Caroline's place...

"Katherine, honey, there you are," Mrs. Lockwood rushed to her, eyeing the glass in her hand yet pasting an expectant smile on her lips, "I notice the watch still isn't in the collection."

Smiling right back, Kat covered up, "Oh, about that, I was just gonna come looking for you, I'm so sorry Mrs. Lockwood, it must be still packed up with my uncle and aunt back in Denver..." That was a lie indeed, but the woman didn't have to know that, did she?

"Oh..." Carol fumbles, "I see. Well, if you happen to find it at home somewhere, okay honey?"

Kat smiled back while handing her the champagne glass, "It was for you Mrs. Lockwood, I was searching for you to tell you about the watch," 

Now now, Kat couldn't have one of the key Mystic Falls campaign judges see her with a champagne glass in her hand. Carol smiled brightly, accepting it with a gushing 'oh thank you'.

Just as she goes away, she realizes that Stefan and Elena were now dancing and Damon and Caroline were leaving the room. Frowning, she follows the elder Salvatore and her friend. 

The best thing and the worst thing about formal parties in Mystic Falls, was that there's always too much happening at the same time. Kat waited until Damon disappeared beyond the back staircase into the other display room upstairs, and then took off her stilettos. They dangled off from her right hand as she bounced on her toes upstairs, thankful that no one was not sober enough to pursue her.

She risked a peek into the room, where she saw Damon kneeling over a wooden box, rummaging through it. 

"Um, you're not supposed to touch— wait what is that?" Caroline whispered when Damon took something out of the box. His back blocked the view but Kat could bet it was one of the antiques.

"A very important crystal," he smiled triumphantly, getting up. Ha!

Kat swallowed her gasp, sliding further away from the room but following their conversation nonetheless.

"Well, how did you know that it was there?"

"Because I put it there. A long time ago. Tonight, I'm taking it back, thanks to you..."

Kat heard kissing sounds and take that as her cue. She tiptoed back to the base of the staircase without a peep. Putting on her footwear hastily, she rushed up once again, this time making sure to force every click onto the wooden stairs.

Kat walked right into the room now, stopping with a plastered frown aimed at Damon, "Care! Damon. What are you doing out here? The party's downstairs,"

Damon withdrew from her friend, his smirk never leaving his lips, "Nothing you should know about, come Caroline." 

"God you're being so clingy today!" the blonde huffed at her fling, "You know what? I need some air. Gimme a break, bye Damon. Come on Kat."

▻▻▻

Following Caroline into the powder room after some dancing, the girls found an annoyed Elena staring at herself in the mirror.

Caroline removed her compact, offering to touch up Kat's make-up. "Ah so, Elena. How are things with Stefan?"

Instead of launching into an explanation of how wonderful her boyfriend is or what great sex they would have, Elena just grunted. "Great. Just... great,"

"Really?" Caroline frowned, "Well, my radar must be off, 'cause I was getting all sorts of other vibes..."

While Elena and Care spoke some more about Stefan, something under Caroline's scarf caught Kat's eye. She lifted the cloth without preamble, gasping at the sight that met her gaze, "Oh god, Caroline, what happened?!"

Caroline snatches back the scarf with a shout, pulling the cloth back in its place, "Don't! It's nothing okay! It's nothing Kat!"

Elena pulled off her scarf completely to reveal a splotchy bite mark.

Kat's eyes widened at it, her fists tightening at the same alarming rate that got the last boy who messed with Caroline, in the hospital. "That is not nothing Care! Damon did this didn't he!"

Caroline backed away from Kat, "No okay, it's nothing. It just... My mom would kill me! Please don't tell this to anyone," she cried.

Kat let out a sob of her own, hugging her hurt best friend, "It's okay, shh, everything will be okay... Did he hurt you anywhere else? I won't tell Liz, I promise Care."

Caroline buried her head in Kat's collarbone, suddenly she was shaking miserably, "N-No, only this one time, h-he even, he even said he wa-was so-rry!"

"It's alright, shh, you're okay, you're safe... Come on," Kat sniffled, wrapping the scarf back around Caroline's neck and gently wiping wetness from her red cheeks, "Let's just go find Liz okay? Please? Caroline... You're safe, just find your mom go. I won't tell her anything," Kat held her shoulders until Caroline was out and she saw her walk up to her mother.

Elena rushed out of the powder room with Kat hot on her heels until they encounter Stefan. 

"I'm sorry." Elena held his hands, "I take it all back. You're completely right about Damon!"

Stefan frowned, his gaze darting from his girlfriend's worried eyes to Kat's enraged ones, "What did he do?"

"There's a bruise on Caroline's neck. A bite mark, and he has her all confused and messed up in the head..." Kat rushed out, lead building in her throat with every word. 

Stefan's eyes widened but he didn't really act like Elena expected him to. 

"You don't look surprised."

He pinched the bridge of his nose "I'm, uh, handling it"

"Handling it?" Elena scoffs, "Stefan, you should be having him arrested!" Elena looked between him and Kat, who's just trying to control her anger. Caroline was the one thing that Kat wanted to keep Damon's hands off of. She did not want to bring her innocent friend into this monstrous mess. As if anything Kat ever wanted could happen.

"Elena, please." Stefan insisted, "I— look, there are things that you don't know, okay? Things that I want to tell you, but I can't. And I may never be able to. And I just need you to trust me, ple—"

Elena slapped his hands away with a glare "Trust is earned, I can't magically hand it over!" She turned around to Kat, "Are you coming?"

Catching herself from an intense stare-off with Elena, the elder Gilbert shakes her head "I, uh, I need to take care of some things. I'll sleep over with Carol—" Elena was already walking away.

Sighing frustratedly, Kat looked at Stefan. They needed to one-up Damon tonight. And there was only one way to do it. Spiking Damon's drink in the morning hadn't worked, so that left Kat with Plan B. 

Realising this, Stefan shook his head "No, Vivi. No."

"Oh I'm doing it."

"No you're not!" he rushed after her as she rushed inside towards the corner table by the caterers bustling about. The corner table was crowded with untouched and yet to served champagne flutes. 

Kat looked around brusquely for merely one second, swiping up one of the chutes before Stefan could have stopped her. Glaring at him to follow with her plan, she motioned him to turn around "Cover me won't you?"

He grudgingly turned around, looking out for any adult coming their way. Mixing the drink with her own concoction from her clutch, Kat pinned her nose shut with her fingers to down the liquid with a groan. Her throat sizzled under the deluge of liquid, her eyes watering.

"Vivi! It's too stron—" Stefan tried to hold her swaying form steady, only to have Kat shaked her head. 

She blinked off the tears vigorously "Where is he?" she pushes Stefan back to the wall, beckoning for him to stay far away from her.

Kat stomped off with her veins still burning. Successfully, she found him rather quickly in the yard. He was palming the gemstone he stole earlier. 

"Damon!" she closed the backyard doors, stomping to him, "I told you to leave Caroline alone! You stay away from Caroline or I will go straight to her mother, the sheriff. You got it? Stay away from her you bastard!" she rushed up to him with anger brimming out of her dimly lit jade eyes.

Damon pouted, unaffected, "Katherine, choose you next words very caref—" she slapped him hard, his face swivelling with the impact. 

It was like a switch was flipped—  his eyes grew colder, his beauty suddenly seeming predatory as he stalked closer to Kat inch-by-inch. His fingers brushed her soft hair behind her ear, sending fearful chills up her spine. He flicked off her hat with another step towards her.

No, Kat told herself, I will not run. Though every nerve in her body screamed for her to bolt out of there, she told herself that she was doing this for the good of the town.

"Such beauty ..." Damon's eyes cloud with red, black veins running upto them as he smiled in dark amusement. His fangs twinkled in the street light by the lake.

If every particle of her body wasn't burning up, Kat would have felt her blood go cold as he towered over her, preying eyes oozing his advantage onto her, "...Wasted "

Kat felt the painful sting of pointy teeth tearing through her neck as she screamed. But with her scream, Damon's too emerged. His throat gurgled and burned up, so did every inch of his skin that ever touched her blood. He groaned, slumping over. He couldn't catch his breath as he held his throat, squinting his now-scared eyes up at the triumphant Gilbert girl. 

Stefan ran up beside Kat. He gently wiping off the blood over her wincing. 

"What... the hell?" Damon groaned, trying to sit up but ended up thumping back onto the ground, his face attached to the grassy dirt's. Kat knelt down beside him with a grim smile. 

"I knew we couldn't spike your drink Damon... So I spiked mine," Patting his bloody cheek with the same smile he wore not seconds ago, Kat removed a small bottle from the clutch and held it to his face.

"When I told you to leave her alone honey... You should have." she pressed hard onto the top, spraying the fallen vampire with vervain perfume.

Damon's consciousness slipped with a silent scream after that.

Kat got up, only to look at Stefan about to tear his wrist. He told her that vampire blood could heal human wounds faster than any medicine. But she wanted the reminder of the sting. 

"No Stefan." she shakes her head at his wrist, "I want it to heal with time."

She hoped to lord that time would not only heal her wounds, but also the sliver of hopeless fear that she felt whenever she imagined monstrous fangs tearing into her.

"Drink—"

"Stefan." Her eyes widened bravely, "I want it to heal with time."

𝐈𝐫𝐞𝐧𝐞'𝐬 𝐜𝐨𝐫𝐧𝐞𝐫
Whoever wants to not piss off my badass girl... DO NOT MESS WITH CAROLINE FORBES. 'Cause messing with either of them gets your fate to end up like Damon's - down to your knees and not in the sexy way.