Vampire Diaries 1. Chapter 1

**So here I am guys, with my new fan fiction. It's AU, and characters will have different lives, different relationship, but I'll try to keep all of them in character as much as I can, considering they're living differently than they do in the show. I hope you'll enjoy it, and have fun reading!**

**xxxx**

„Elena" – she heard Jenna calling her name from downstairs. Her aunt was very loud when she wanted to be. „Wake up! You're going to be late for school!" – Jenna yelled louder than before so she would be convinced Elena heard her.

„I'm coming" – Elena yelled with a sleepy voice. She had put her pillow on the top of her head, squashing her ears so another sound wouldn't interfre with her waking up process. She wasn't a morning person. If she didn't wake up on her own, she would be moody for the whole morning. And the person who woke her up would be her target until she breathes some life in herself and forgets all about unpleasant waking up. She hated waking up early. But when she woke up late, that would mess up with her schedule that included hygine, which she had to do first until her brother wakes up and occupies the bathroom, and there's no way she's going in there after him, strategically planning her outfit for the day, doing her hair however she feels like that day, applying make up if she finds it necessary, and having a cup of coffee before Bonnie picks her up.

Elena threw the pillow of her head and opened one eye to glance at the alarm clock. 6:55am. Damn! She has only 35 minutes to get ready until Bonnie beeps the horn of her car to let her know she has arrived. She jumped from the bed in a hurry, running towards the bathroom. She opened the bathroom doors leading to the room of her brother, enough to see is he still in his bed. He was still sleeping. Good. That means she won't find any surprises in the bathroom. She locked both bathroom doors, ones leading to his, and the others leading to her room. Sharing a bathroom with a younger brother was the worst thing ever. Especially her brother, Jeremy, who was the messiest person she ever had a pleasure of knowing.

While she was brushing her teeth, Jenna's voice was still echoing in her head. If it were anyone else, Elena would be a first class bitch to them for waking her up, although they would be doing her a favor. How does that saying go? Let sleeping dogs lie? But she couldn't be angry or bitchy at Jenna. After all, she had dropped everything to take care of her and Jeremy, the least she could do was to not be a bitch to her.

She heard Jeremy's bed squeaking. That meant he's up, probably rolling out of bed as we speak. So she did what she had to do in a hurry, quietly unlocked his bathroom door, then disappeared from it, without leaving a trace she was there in the first place.

She opened her closet and frowned at it. Closet full of clothes and nothing to wear. She grabbed her black, under the knee dress from the hanger and vanilla, v-neck jacket that was ending on her hips. She slided in the strapless, bell dress an put her jacket on? To button the last button on it, or not?

Unbutton. She frowned at her reflection in the mirror. Her breasts were popping out now.

Button. She frowned again. She looked like a nun now.

Unbotton? Button?

Button.

She had put her favorite black with white dots flats on her feet, decided to let her hair fall down on her back, grabbed her black, leather bag from the chair and hopped downstairs.

Jeremy was already downstairs, eating his cereal. Guys. They brush their teeth, well most of them do anyway, put some water on their face to freshen up, dress into the first thing they see and they're done. He could have at least brushed his hair.

Jeremy raised his head and waved at Elena, wishing her good morning. Elena smiled at him. Milk was dripping down his face. She gestured him with her hand he has milk on his face, and he wiped it off with the sleeve of his shirt. Disgusting.

„Morning sweetie" – Jenna turned around, holding a big cup of coffee in her hands, offering it to Elena.

Coffee is her salvation. It keeps her from killing everyone she sees in the morning. Just like sarcasm, Bonnie and Caroline keep her from killing every one of those idiots at school.

„Morning Jenna" – Elena smiled at her, grabbing a cup from her hands and taking a sip from it.

Extra hot. Her tongue and throat were burning up. Jenna was the worst coffee maker in the world. Elena could basically feel clumps of sugar in it. And where did she heat this coffee up? In hell? Whoever taught Jenna how to make coffee must have hated her. But that coffee had her wide awake in less than 10 seconds.

Jenna smiled back. „Is it good?" – she asked proudly, flipping her strawberry blonde hair behind her shoulders.

„Just the way I like it" – Elena patted her aunt on the shoulder with her free hand.

How could she tell her that her coffee makes her want to kill puppies with her bare hands when she pulled such a wide, proud smile across her face. Elena wondered does her aunt ever drink coffee, and if she does and likes it, she has the worst taste ever.

Jenna moved in with her and Jeremy two years ago, after her parents died. She's still in college, she's a psychology student and only few months keep her away from getting her degree. Good thing she's smart and doesn't have to make coffee because she would poison half of the town. Or cook. Jenna's cooking, the horror of all horrors. But Jenna is doing the best she can, being so young and unexperienced. To them, she was like a second mother, and she had basically put her life on hold to take care of them, and to catch the strings of paranthood. And there's not a thing Elena could do to pay her back. Except maybe make her own coffee and cook occasionally, but in the end, that was for their own good, so she didn't even know does that count.

As Elena took her last sip of coffee, she heard the horn of Bonnie's car in front of the house. She gave Jenna a kiss on the cheek, said bye to Jeremy although she's going to see him around the school and disappeared from the house.

**xxxx**

„Did you see the way he looked at me? At me! – Caroline was squealing like a little child as they walked to their lockers.

It was their senior year, and Caroline decided she's going to take an advantage of it. She's going to do everything she missed out on while she stayed at home, watched The Notebook and stuffed herself with Oreos. She decided she's going to party and hook up with boys and do all the things it says other girls did on the bathroom doors. Elena knew Caroline would never actually do those things, she's too shy, but she had a big mouth, fast tongue and wild imagination, so Elena just smiled as she talked about her future plans. She would end up watching Notebook and eating Oreos every Saturday night anyway.

„I don't know Caroline, don't you think Mr. Rogers is too old?" – Bonnie said, giggling at her friends excitement.

Neither Elena or Bonnie were as half as excited as Caroline for their senior year. Bonnie wasn't interested in boys and partying. She was only interested in studying and playing computer games with her older brother who dropped out of college and is now living bohemian life. Seriously, he's even writing songs about it. It's only a matter of time before their father comes home from Europe and makes him go back to college. Her brother was kinda cute, with his deep brown eyes, bushy hair and full, pink lips. But he already had a beer belly, in his early twenties, and was completely immature for his age.

„And too gross? I mean, he wears a taupe" – Elena added. The man had the most obvious taupe out of all the people who ever wore taupes in the history of the world.

„And he is your teacher" – Bonnie made a loud statement.

Mr. Rogers was their old English teacher. Okay, he wasn't that old. But he was old enough. Anyway, Caroline was convinced he was flirting with her when he asked her to stay with him in the classroom after the class ended. He only wanted to talk to her about her grades and how she needs to get an excelent from every exam until the end of the school year in order for her to have a B in his class, but Caroline kept explaining to them it wasn't about what he said, but about how he said it. How he kept calling her by her first name, and how he kept waving his hands in her direction, and how he stopped every now and then because his look kept falling on her chest.

„Girls, Mr. Rogers is a well read and traveled older man. Sure, he is old enough to be my father, and he does have that old man smell, but he is also very smart and I'm flattered that kind of man would be interested in me. He's even been to Russia!" – she said the last sentence with pride.

„He told you he's been in Russia?" – Bonnie asked as she opened her locker to put her books in.

„Well.. no" – Caroline furrowed her brows – „I've kinda made him tell me the story."

Both Elena and Bonnie turned their heads around at Caroline and gave her a questionable look. Caroline bit her lip and looked at the floor.

„I've seen this little wooden doll on his desk so I asked him did his child made that for him because I didn't see a ring on his finger so I wanted to make sure he's not married, or that he's maybe divorced or something, I don't even know. But he frowned and said that'a babushka and that he got it when he was on a vacation in Russia, I mean who even goes to a vacation in Russia, if you have enough money to go to Europe at least take a vacation somewhere sunny, and how was I supposed to know that doll was profesionally made it looks like my little cousin made it for an art assignment in kindergarten, and I felt really bad so I asked him a lot of questions and he kept talking and talking and got all excited about how everyone should visit Russia because it's such a magical country with lots of history" – Caroline tried to catch her breath after the last spoken word since she said all of that in once breath. She did that often when she got excited. She just talked and talked and talked without stopping, like someone wind her up.

Elena bursted into laughter. „Oh Caroline" – she said while laughing, holding one hand on her locker door and the other on her stomach.

Caroline raised her head up and frowned at Elena. She looked at Bonnie and saw her silently giggling too. She exhaled and opened her own locker.

„Elena, what about you?" – Caroline smirked as she applied light, red lipstic on her lips.

„What about me?" – Elena closed her locker and leaned against it.

„Do you have an eye for anyone?" – Caroline asked although she knew an answer to that question very well.

Elena was not into boys either. But unlike Bonnie, she wasn't opposed to having one. But she didn't want to find one either, she wanted to be found. She didn't want to waste her time on this high school morons. Sometimes she had a feeling she doesn't want to waste time on real morons either. Well hello there, fangirl alert. She didn't want to fall in love with someone, give him everything she has, only for him to take advantage of her for sex and the give her up when something better comes along. Because that's what boys do. They don't think with their heart, but they don't think with their head either. Well, not with the one on their necks. She wanted a movie romance. She wanted to fall for someone while she's buying peanut butter, crunchy one, in local supermarket, or when she drops her wallet in the middle of the street and he runs into her and knocks her over as well as her heart. She wanted to have an adventure, she wanted to fall in love with someone she least expects to, she wanted to feel someone's heart on the palm of her hand and she was sure she's not going to find that in Mystic Falls High School.

„Elena, you have to get out of that tower of yours, because Prince Charming is not going to climb in it and take you far, far away in the freedom" – Caroline said while puckering her lips, looking herself in the mirror that was attached inside of her locker door.

Elena knew that. So why did she wanted it so desperately?

„Matt is cute" – Caroline said.

„And he is in love with your for quite some time" – Bonnie added.

Elena gave a look of warning to Bonnie. She went over to the enemy lines with Caroline. Yes, Matt is a cutie. And he's sweet and adorable and everything a girl would want from a boy. But he's also her best friend for as long as she could remember. They know each other since they were in diapers. She had seen his thing when they were swimming in a rubber pool in her back yard. She farted in front of him more than once. Not more than he did in front of her. And when he told everyone she did so, she told him he's lying because she's a lady, and ladies don't fart. And she was mad at him for a week, until he bought her a strawberry lollypop and lured her back into delicious web of friendship. If he started kissing her now, she would probably laugh, and it would be extremely awkward. And she felt sorry for him because he was so unfortunate to fall in love with a girl that is never going to love him back. Not like that.

„I know what Elena needs" – Caroline said with a wide smile on her face. She's about to say something stupid, Elena knew it. „There" – she pointed her finger at a boy who was standing in front of his locker, trying to remember his combination. Stefan Salvatore.

Didn't she knew Caroline is going to say something stupid? Whenever she had this dope smile on her face Elena knew she's going to go all Joey Tribiani on her. Stefan Salvatore was the most popular boy in the school. He was the captain of the football team, and his girlfriend was the head cheerleader. His hair was made out of gold, and he was wearing his letterman jacket. He probably even slept in it. Also, his body was sculptured by Greek gods, and he was driving a red Porsche, and his family was dirty rich. No, you didn't fall asleep and wake up in some lame ass teen comedy, this was probably written in his birth certificate, because when he popped out with his sunshine blonde hair everyone probably knew every girl will fall on her knees for him. Literally. If you know what I mean.

„Yeah, because I want a boyfriend who spends more time doing his hair than me" – Elena said while looking at Stefan who was scratching his head, not being able to remember his locker combination.

Caroline and Bonnie laughed and went on picking on their lockers.

But Elena glanced back at Stefan. No matter how cliche his life is, he does have that something. She didn't knew much about Stefan, and she thought he's as dumb as a post, but in Mr. Roger's English class he always had all the answers and he always read everything that was assigned to them. They also had Mr. Tanner's History class together, and Elena noticed that he's good with years and names. But in the end, he was a stupid jock who probably made fun of geeks and fatties and kids with glasses during lunch break and who had sex with the head of the cheerleading squad and who probably woke up every day three ours earlier to do his hair. Matt was in the football team too, but Matt was different. He was one of the good guys. He finally got his locker combo. Good boy. It seems that hamster in his head started running a little bit faster. Probably happens once or twice a day. But he did have those pretty green eyes. And that Italian accent that made all the girls drool like puppies.

„Staring much?" – she heard a sharp voice coming from behind her, waking her up from the trans she found herself in.

She turned her head around and saw a tall brunette standing there, with her hands on her hips, pouting her lips. Katherine Pierce. She was Stefan's girlfriend. And she was one of those people every girl wanted to know, and every guy wanted to have, but only Stefan got to have her. Well, not if it's to believe to the rumors. And Stefan looked dumb enough to stay with her even if the rumors were true. She was the head of the cheerleading squad, and she liked to give head, and not only to Stefan. Again, if it is to believe to the rumors. Katherine had a long, brown curly hair that was swaying in the wind even if there was no wind. She had brown puppy eyes, but her thin, pointy eyebrows made them look mean. She had a perfect waist and perfectly long legs. Okay, you get the picture, Katherine Pierce is perfect.

„Um, what? No, I was just.." – Elena lost herself in her own thoughts, distracted by Katherine even talking to her. She didn't do so in years.

Once upon a time, Elena and Katherine were best friends. It has always been her, Katherine, Caroline and Bonnie. The fantastic four. Until High School, when Katherine's boobs grew over the summer. Or when she bought them. Whatever. Anyway, she became the it girl over night, and soon enough she forgot her friends, which fell harder on Elena than it did on Caroline or Bonnie because Elena and Katherine were closer than anyone. Elena was afraid Katherine would tell everyone all of her secrets, but soon enough she became someone Katherine was ashamed to talk about, and soon enough everyone forgot they were friends. Even Katherine.

„You do realize that is my boyfriend you are staring at?" – Katherine said while cheacking out her nails, still pouting her lips.

Elena was speechless. Elena Gilbert speechless? Not something that happens often. Actually, that never happens.

„Gosh Katherine, are you always such a bitch, or do I have a fortune of running into you when you have your bitchy escapades?" – Elena saw a tall, blonde girl standing behind Katherine. When Katherine heard her, her eyes grew bigger and she froze into place.

„Rebekah" – Katherine said silently as the muscles of her face relaxed.

As far as Elena understood, Rebekah Mikaelson was Stefan's best friend. She didn't know much about her, just that she's from Great Britain, but that she moved with her mother to Mystic Falls when she was six. She still kept her British accent, though. Her brother, Niklaus, moved in with her and their mother when their father died. Up until then, he was living with their father in London. Niklaus became one of Stefan's closer friends, and he was too on the football team. Matt says girls melt when he opens his mouth, because of his pure British accent. Girls drop their panties because of that kind of stuff. The only man with an accent Elena would drop her panties for was Hugh Grant. I mean, who wouldn't?

„That outfit" – Rebekah pointed her finger at the cheerleading outfit Katherine was wearing – „Or the fact you are sleeping with the captain of football team" – and God knows who else – „doesn't make you the queen of the world" – Rebekah said coldly, her accent making her sound colder than any American would sound. She didn't even sound bitchy, she sounded smart. Guess that's what accent does to people.

Wait. What was she talking about? Katherine was Blair fucking Waldorf of Mystic Falls. But someone not falling on their knees to kiss the ground Katherine walks on was a delight to see.

Katherine crossed her arms like a child, pouted her lips in furry and shook her head. By the way, her curls didn't move. Were they made of rock? Were they insured for one million dollars? Is she going to sell her hair if her world class bitch act fails?

„Whatever" – she rolled her eyes and walked away in another direction.

Elena turned around to look at Bonnie and Caroline. They both bugged their eyes out in Katherine's directon. Caroline had a stunned look on her face, but Bonnie pulled a smirk over hers. Caroline was intimidated of Katherine, like the rest of the school was, but Bonnie hated her. She was never a big fan of Katherine when they were friends, either.

„Don't mind her" – Elena was nudged by Rebekah's voice that sounded little less British now. „Stefan probably only puts up with her because she makes him rise" – Rebekah rolled her eyes in the direction Katherine went. She didn't look too happy about Stefan and Katherine being together.

Elena looked at Rebekah confused. „Rise?" – she asked while furrowing her brows and wiggling her little, perky nose.

Rebekah looked at her and smiled gently. When it comes to beauty, Katherine was no match to Rebekah. Sure, Katherine was beautiful, but sometimes it seemed she tried too much to look beautiful. Her hair looked like it's made out of rock, which was freaky to see, and she wore too much make up. Plus, her attitude only made her look more fake than her appearance did. But Rebekah looked like an angel. She looked natural. Her skin was milky, and she had beautiful blue eyes that were a perfect match to her straight, blonde hair. She was tall, and she didn't have to walk half naked around the school to look attractive. And her British accent made her look mysterious, and her manners made her look elegant.

„She makes him hard. You know.. sex" – Rebekah tried to explain while keeping that gentle smile on her face. Smiling like that, she reminded her of Matt.

Sex. Of course she's talking about sex. What else would she be talking about? Another topic Elena knows nothing about. Well, except what they told them in school and what she read in Cosmopolitan, but how much can you believe a magazine that says pink is no longer in fashion? Lies. All lies. And by the way, it should be forbidden by law for P.E teachers to lead sexual education classes. The last time he was able to have sex was probably when dinosaurs still walked the Earth.

„Oh" – Elena gasped and smiled back at Rebekah. She could hear Caroline giggling behind her back. She's probably enjoying this.

Rebekah turned her head around and saw Stefan closing his locker and heading in the opposite direction. „See you around" – she waved to all three girls and ran in Stefan's direction, calling his name. When he heard her voice, he turned around and pulled a smile across his face. When she came closer to him, he had put his arm around her shoulders and kissed the top of her head.

**xxxx**

After the bell for the last class rang, and after everyone, including her friends, went home, Elena headed to the tutor center. She started tutoring after her parents died so she would be able to pay for all the college expenses by herself, and although there was a big chance she will get a scholarship, she didn't want to risk it. She knew her parents left enough money for both her and Jeremy behind them, and that Jenna had a part-time job, but she also knew that money runs out quickly. She was afraid there won't be any money left for Jeremy to go to college, and there's no way in hell he's getting a scholarship. She found it selfish of her to spend all the money just because she's the first child. And even if there's enough money, extra money could never hurt. In the end, there were all those shoes waiting to be bought.

When she entered the tutor center, no one was there. She had put her bag on the counter, tied her hair in a long tail, and put the glasses on her face. There was no need for her to wear them anymore, and she did have her contact lenses, but they made her look smarter than she is. And they made her feel smarter than she is. Plus, she liked the way they kept falling on the tip of her nose, so her long eyelashes would pop out. She made herself comfortable in a chair behind a counter and cracked a book. She heard the doors opening and she frowned. She got up from the chair and saw a tall, blonde guy standing there, scratching the back of his head and looking at a piece of paper.

Stefan Salvatore. He was standing there in his leatherman jacket, tight jeans and tall, black boots with untied laces. Stay cool Elena, stay cool, she repeated few times in her head as she stood behind the counter, watching him looking confused at a piece of paper.

„Can I help you?" – she asked coldly, fixing her glasses with the tip of her fingers.

He raised his head and smiled at her. „Yeah" – he started walking towards her – „I'm looking for Elena Gilbert" – he was standing in front of the counter now. Her smelled like the boys locker room mixed with the scent of vanilla.

Wait, he's looking for who? Her? Is there another Elena Gilbert in the school? Not that she knew of.

„Well, you found her" – she said with a cold tone of voice, taking off her glasses and putting them on the top of the counter.

Stefan checked her out from waist up. „I need you to tutor me in math" – he said, smiling at her. He did look charming with that smile on his face, but she didn't want to admit it to herself. That way, she wouldn't be any different than any of those other girls in school.

Elena furrowed her brows, and a smile disappeared from his face. „I'm busy, I can recommend you to someone else, though" – she said while looking at her empty schedule. Okay, she was lying, she was nowhere near busy. Her last tutoring ended a week ago, and since then no one requested any help. But she didn't want to spend any time with Stefan. She didn't want to spend last months of her High School life explaining math to a slow jock who is going to get a D and get into a good college because of his football scholarship or thanks to his family's money. If she's going to help someone, it's going to be someone who really needs help, not someone who spent their High School life playing with a ball and opening a book once or twice in a semester.

Stefan frowned as he looked at her turning pages of her notebook. „But I've heard you're the best" – he said seriously.

She raised her head up to look at him, frowning at her like a child. He had a Caroline look on his face. And she's the best?

„I'll pay you double than you usually get" – he said, still keeping a serious expression on his face.

She pouted her lips at him, which brought a smile to his face. Does he think he can buy her like that? Does he live in a world where he thinks everything he wants he can get with money? Probably. And she does need the money. If he pays her double that will leave her enough for some extra necessities, like clothes. And shoes. And make up. And that adorable swimming suit she's eyeing for more than a month in a store on her way back home.

„Fine" – she said – „Under one condition" – she added seriously – „You have to promise you won't fall in love with me."

He looked at her confused. His eyes widened and his lips started trembling. Then the muscles of his face relaxed and he had burst into laughter. „Are you quoting A Walk To Remember to me?" – he said through laughter, frozing his look on hers.

A girl has to try. It's practically a law.

Damn. How does he even know about that movie? Did Katherine show him her still beating human heart under her ice queen exterior and made him watch it with her?

She was speechless. Again. Twice in one day. This is not looking good.

„That's not a problem" – he winked at her.

Elena woke up from her trans. Of course it's not.

„Here" – she started writing something in the notebook, then tore a piece of it and handed it to him – „My phone number. Call me on Thursday and I'll tell you when and where" – he took a piece of paper from her hands and put it in his pocket along with the piece of paper he was holding in his hand before.

„Deal" – he said, waved at her and disappeared from the tutor center.

She sighed as she watched him leave. Probably the biggest mistake she had ever done.

**xxxx**

**I hope you enjoyed the first chapter and that I got you interested in the story. Be sure to let me know what you think in the reviews. Lots of love!**


	2. Chapter 2

Stefan was laying on his back, throwing a little, yellow rubber ball against the ceiling. It kept bouncing back to his hands, which would always slightly entertain him in the times of boredom.

Rebekah and Nik went with their mother and her husband number I-stopped-counting-after-the-number-reached-two-digits to Atlanta to attend some barbecue his family was organizing. He could have imagined Rebekah's face when they put a plate full of greasy meat in front of her. Meat and grease were two of Rebekah's largest enemies when it comes to food. So she probably kept picking around her salad, unless it was too spicy. She didn't like spices that much either. When it came to food, Rebekah was so picky, unlike Stefan who could have eat everything. Meat, vegetables, sweets, cake, cookies.. mmm, Oreos. Sweet, delicious Oreos that were probably made by angels, in a land where milk and chocolate flow like neighboring rivers. He could hear the sound of the wrapper opening in his ear.

Ouch. The ball fell on his face. Focus, Stefan.

Anyway, Nik was probably bored out of his mind too. Unless there were some young, beautiful ladies for him to charm without even trying. When Nik was living with his father in London, he was in all boys school, so when he moved to Mystic Falls and started attending co-ed school, he was like Alice in the wonderland, discovering a completely new, unexplored teritory. He never had a girlfriend either, since his father was a really strict man, so Nik's schedule was cramped with extra curricual activites. Girls practically started throwing themselves under his feet, and he was out of his mind confused. So Rebekah asked Stefan to help him out before her brother does something stupid.

Stefan got up from the bed and rubbed his nose. He heard footsteps and whispers in front of his bedroom.

„You'll come with me to the office today, and I' ll show you a few things" – he heard his father hissing through his teeth. He peaked through the half open door of his bedroom, and saw his brother standing in front of a mirror, fixing his tie, while their father was brushing the back of his jacket with a little, wooden brush. „You'll have a lot to learn, but I expect you to do it in no time" – father gave a warning look to Damon, and Stefan could see Damon's face getting serious in the mirror. He even swallowed a little. „You're a Salvatore, after all" – father pulled a smile across his cold face and tapped Damon on the back, hard. Father rarely smiled, and when he did, Stefan swore he could hear his skin cracking a little.

Damon looked so silly in the business wear, since he was always wearing his jeans and a leather jacket with a plain black or blue shirt under it. He looked like the younger version of their father, and that was something Damon swore he would never be. Damon never got along with their father, until he told him he expects him to take over the family business once he's gone. That was probably the first time in his life that Damon got some recognition or approval from their father, and once he tasted it, it had hit him in the head, hard.

Stefan closed his door, silently, sighed, and fell back on the bed. He tried calling Katherine, but she blew him off, again. She was out shopping with Melanie. Or Melody. Or Melissa. Or some of her other minions starting with the letter M. He hasn't seen Katherine in a while, and he couldn't remember the last time the two of them had a meaningful conversation. Every time he tries to talk with her, not a minute passes by before she starts taking off her clothes, or his for that matter. Sex. That's everything they seem to do lately. Not that he's complaing. Katherine is an animal in bed. And she is ready to do anything. Literally anything. But he often missed their conversations, the ones they had in the beginning of their relationship. He missed the girl he fell in love with.

He rolled over and heard something rustling in his pocket. He frowned and reached down his pocket with his fingers, pulling out two crumbled pieces of paper. He opened it and saw a phone number on one, and Elena's name on the other.

Fuck! What day is it? He reached for his phone that was standing on the table near the bed. Thursday.

„Fuck" – he cursed three times in a row, every time louder. He was supposed to call Elena today, since she's supposed to start tutoring him in Math. He didn't even tell his parents he's flunking Math. He only told Rebekah and Nik, and Rebekah said she heard Elena is the best when it comes to tutoring.

Elena was pretty cute. She looked so innocent and child like, especially in that little black, bell dress she was wearing the other day. She was probably a virgin. She had that virgin vibe. Stefan asked himself how would it be to have sex with a virgin. So unexperienced, so much energy in her, she would probably bend, and moan and scream like.. focus, Stefan. Anyway, she looked.. well, she didn't look like Katherine. He would probably be allowed to touch her hair. And her hair probably smells like a strawberry shampoo. Katherine has so many hair products in her hair that sometimes she smells like a junk yard. And her face was clear of make up, she didn't cement it with eyeshadow and mascara and whatever girls use to make themselves look „prettier". But it wasn't even about her looks, it was about how she behaved around him. He didn't remember seeing Elena around, which means they probably move in different circles. She was cold to him. She didn't look like she wants him, even though she doesn't know anything about him. She didn't drool or stutter, although she was a little bit awkward with that A Walk To Remember thing, but he liked that. Rebekah made him watch that movie, and he secretly liked it, although he had never admitted so to her. To this day he keeps calling it another trashy chick flick, although a tear fell down his cheek when Jamie died. He was lucky Rebekah was full of her own tears to notice one rolling down his cheek. Anyway, Elena seemed different. She seemed natural and normal, and she treated him like he's any other student, not a Salvatore, whatever that meant. But his father loved repeating that, especially to Damon when he was younger. „You're a Salvatore, act like one" – he would hear his father yelling at Damon every time Damon would do something father would not approve of, which was often. If they were living in a bigger town, he would be a guy with a red Porsche and a letterman jacket, one out of many. But in a small town like Mystic Falls everyone knew who Stefan Salvatore was and everyone wanted to be his friend. Not because of who he was, but because of what his name meant. And he wasn't ever sure what his name means. But Elena didn't care he's Stefan Salvatore, and that was nice.

He lifted his phone, looked at the paper and dialed her phone number.

**xxxx**

„Hey Jer" – Elena yelled after her brother as he passed in front of her bedroom – „Which one?" – she raised two nail polishes when he peeped his head into her room.

He frowned and walked into her room. He walked over to her bed, where she was laying on her stomach, and took both nail polishes in his hands.

He raised his look from them and looked at her, furrowing his brows. „They're the same" – he laughed, putting them on the bed.

Elena took both of them in her hands and frowned. „No, they're not."

„What do you mean? Look, both of them are in the identical vial, and both of them are pink" – he laughed again.

Men. They wouldn't make a difference between colors even if you dipped a brick in it and threw it in their head.

Elena shook her head. „No, this one is pink" – she lifted one of the nail polishes in the air - „And this one is pink with the purple gleam" – she lifted the other nail polish in the air.

Jeremy furrowed his brows again, looking at her like she's crazy, being more and more annoyed with her. „Elena, why do you ask me these things? You have Jenna for that" – he sighed as he turned around to leave her room.

Guess he didn't like either much. She shrugged and opened the vial of pink nail polish and started applying it on her thumb. Suddendly, her phone started ringing.

She rolled her eyes and reached for her phone, that was reasting on the other side of the bed, with her free hand.

„Hello?" – she had put her phone on her shoulder and pressed it to her ear.

„Hi, Elena.. it's Stefan" – she heard a voice on the other side. She could have imagined him, laying on a king size bed and scratching the back of his neck, where his hair ends.

Oh look, he did remember to call. She was surprised he even knows what day of a week it is.

„You told me to call on Thursday. And today is Thursday" – he added awkwardly.

„Are you free today?" – she got right on the chase.

„Yes" – he said. Today was actually perfect, since he had nothing better to do.

She sat on the bed. His voice sounded cute through the phone. Musculine, but cute.

„Tutor centar in about two hours?" – she suggested while trying to apply nail polish on her second finger.

„Tutor centar? But there are.."

„Ners? Geeks? People with no life?" – she had cut in the middle of his sentence.

She could hear him gasp over the phone. „People I don't know, was what I meant to say" – he continued silently.

Damn, she got the nail polish all over her skin. Some women can't multitask.

She felt blush coming to her cheeks. Her and her long tongue. She always had to say everything that was on the top of her mind. She stopped counting how many times that got her in trouble when the number passed thousand.

„Oh come on Stefan, I'm sure you will find your under average friends there" – she replied with the same cold voice she did the day he came to her in the tutor centar, trying to hide her embarrassment.

She heard a chuckle on the other side. Good, he wasn't offended or mad. Even if he was, who cares. She sure doesn't.

„What do you say about the Grill?" – Stefan asked.

„The Grill?" – she asked shocked. That was a very public place, with no peace or quiet at all.

„Unless you're embarassed to be seen with me?" – he pulled a smirk across his face, one she could not see, but one she could imagine. A smirk was followed by the light laughter.

„I am" – she replied with no emotion in her voice – „But I'll get over my embarrassment for the sake of your education" – she added. She caught herself smiling like an idiot. She wanted to slap herself so hard. Control your hormons, Elena.

„Good" – he laughed. „See you in the Grill in two hours" – his tone of voice started lowering – „And oh, Elena?"

„Yeah?" – she said interested in what else could he possibly add.

„Wear something pretty."

And he hanged up. She kept her phone pressed to her ear, with her mouth wide open in shock. She wanted to call him back and let him have a piece of her mind. Who does he think he is? They're not friends. They're nothing. They're complete strangers and what they have is a business deal. She does not have to dress up for him like those other bimbos at the school.

But she controlled herself. She didn't care what he has to say about her, to her, or what he thinks about her anyway. To him, people are dolls. Dolls he likes to play with. Well, she's not going to participate in his play. She threw the phone on the other side of the bad, and it landed on the same spot where it was before, as she went back to paiting her nails.

**xxxx**

Two hours later, Elena walked in the Grill, dressed in a white dress, white Converse and a denim jacket. She had books under her right arm, and she was biting the end of her white Ray Bans that were in her left hand. Her long, brown hair was falling all over her back and shoulders, and she had no make up on her face, except barely visiable eyeliner.

She didn't dress up for him, or because he told her so. But the dress was new. Okay, it wasn't new. She bought it God knows when, but she only found it today in the back of her closet, with the tag still now. So in theory, it was new. When it comes to shopping, she may have a little, tiny problem.

Stefan noticed her the moment she stepped in the Grill. And she looked.. stunning. He felt guilty, thinking how beautiful she looks. Sure, he had noticed other girls, and thought they were good looking, but the word beautiful was reserved for his girlfriend only. Because when someone is beautiful, the whole deal counts. Their looks, including their personalities. They way their hair smell and how silky their skin is and the fact they mumble in their sleep or how they talk fast when they get excited. You know, all the little things other people don't know about. Those are the stuff that make a person beautiful. Personal stuff. So he didn't understand why did the first word that flew through his mind when he saw Elena standing there was beautiful. And he couldn't remember the last time he thought Katherine was beautiful, which made him feel even more guilty.

She had stepped on the tip of her toes to have a better look around the place. From his perspective, she looked so tiny. When she finally caught him, sitting by the table in the corner, he waved at her. She smiled and waved back, carefully going up to meet him.

She moved so graciously. Like she's lighter than the wind. And it was refreshing, seeing someone dressed not so provocatively, but like they hopped out of Urban Republic ad.

When she came closer to the table he was sitting by, he got up from his chair and pulled out a chair for her. He wasn't trying to be charming, he was simply doing what his mother taught him to do when he finds himself in a presence of a lady. But Elena never considered herself a lady, nor she was treated like one, so she was trying to find a hidden message behind his gesture.

„Hey" – she said with a smile on her face, before sitting on a chair he pulled out for her, and putting a pile of math books on the table.

„Hey. You look beautiful" – he said back while sitting on a chair across her. They were sitting by a small table so they were in a close proximity of each other.

She swallowed, trying to push away his words.

She took off her denim jacket, revealing her bare shoulders. She was wearing a strapless dress, and he could still see the marks of where the bra straps were supposed to be. She had such a small shoulders, and he started thinking about how good her skin must taste, and how he would like to plant kisses over those shoulders, and pull that dress of her body, and how she probably smells like strawberries and milk, or maybe like Oreos. Maybe better than Oreos. Katherine never smelles like Oreos, she doesn't even eat them. He could feel her flowery scent all over across the table. What was about her that made him feel this way? He didn't even know her. But why did he have a feeling he did? Why did she stick around his mind all Monday, and why did he think about her while Katherine was kissing his neck, and his chest? And he didn't even imagine her in Katherine's position, no, he thought about her chestnut eyes and pouty lips and perky nose, wondering why did he notice all those things about a stranger? And he was feeling guilty because he had a feeling he's cheating on Katherine emotionally, with someone he doesn't even know. And why did he have a need to greet her in a hallway, although she passed by him like he doesn't exist?

Focus, Stefan.

Elena caught him staring in the direction of her bare shoulders, but she didn't interrupt him. Not because she enjoyed him staring, but because he didn't look her with lust, but.. admiration. And she liked the look behind those eyes.

„Something to drink?" – he finally raised his look from her shoulders, pretending like thousand thoughts are not racing in his mind.

„Sure" – she smiled at him lightly.

Stefan raised his hand in the air to call for the waiter. When he saw someone moving in direction of their table, he lowered his hand down on the table. He glanced over at the pile of math books sitting on the table and frowned. Yuck, Math. Elena caught his frown and smiled.

„E.. Elena?" – they heard a soft, male voice above them, calling her name.

Elena raised her head and saw Matt standing in front of their table with a confused look on his face. Oh shit. She totally forgot he started working in the Grill.

„Matt" – Elena said, muscles of her face tensing. Stefan had noticed that, so he decided to butt in before the situation gets any more awkward.

„Hey Matt" – Stefan said, stretching his hand out to Matt.

They were both on the football team, but they didn't know each other very well. Matt didn't hang out with anyone from the football team, except Tyler. But Matt was one of those guys who everyone liked, because he never had any conflicts with anyone and he always passed the ball.

„Hey" – Matt stretched out his hand to shake Stefan's. His look went back to Elena instantly, only to find her head lowered down. „What can I get you?"

„Two cokes?" – Stefan asked, trying to catch Elena's look.

She sensed him looking at her, so she lifted her head up a little, smiled to him and nodded. Matt saw that, so he nodded back to Stefan and started walking down to the bar.

Elena released a loud sigh and covered her face with her hands. Stefan was the last person she wanted Matt to see her with. Not because Matt hated Stefan, Matt didn't hate anyone, but because Stefan was who he was. And Matt often told her rumors about him and the other cheeleaders, and what they were doing while Katherine was looking away, and she didn't want Matt to think she's one of those girls. Especially after she told him she's not looking for anyone because she wants to focus on her studies.

„Boyfriend?" – Stefan tried to break an uncomfortable silence.

Elena laughed and shook her head, pushing her hair behind. Now her brown hair was falling perfectly over her tanned shoulders, and the only thing he could think about was how would it feel to slowly move her hair from her shoulders and kiss her skin..

„Best friend" – she interrupted his wave of thoughts. What were they talking about again? Oh right, Matt.

„Seems like something more to me" – Stefan took one book from the pile and opened it, trying to look like he asked not because it interests him, but because he was trying to be polite.

„He.." – Elena continued while pulling her fingers through her hair, pushing her way back – „He has some feelings for me" – she lowered her head like that's something she's guilty of.

„But you don't feel the same for him?" – Stefan asked, keeping that uninterested tone of voice.

„No" – Elena shook her head. God, her hair was the color of Oreos. She raised her head to look at him. „He's my best friend" – she shrugged, like that's the only excuse she had. Like that's the only excuse she needed.

And it was. If Rebekah came to him one day and told him she has more than friendly feelings for him, he wouldn't know how to react. She's like his sister.

Stefan nodded in understanding.

„Here you go" – they've heard the same soft, male voice as before, as they found two bottles of coke alongside with two glasses filled with ice on their table. They raised their heads and saw Matt standing by the table, smiling at them.

„Thanks" – Stefan said, reached for his pocket and took out they money from it, putting it in Matt's opened hand. Matt crooked his lips into a smile, turned around and walked away.

Elena sighed again, this time more quietly.

„We should get started" – Elena said as she grabbed a book from the pile and opened it.

And they did. They worked for an hour without a pause. And Stefan wasn't as stupid as she thought. No, he was actually really, really smart. He got the hang of it pretty quickly, and she had no idea how he managed to flunk Math. If he only read before the exam, he would know enough to get a D, possibly C.

„And then this goes.."

„Here" – he said, pointing on the notebook with his pen.

„Yes" – she said excidetly. And she said that with more excitement than she planned to. „Good job" – she coughed, trying to hide her previous excitement.

„I'm not as stupid as you think, Elena. I'm just.." – he raised his head from the notebook only to catch her staring at him, waiting for the end of that sentence. „Lazy. Math is boring" – he laughed and scratched the back of his neck, leaning back on the chair.

She laughed out loud. „Oh come on, Math can be fun."

He looked at her and crooked his eyebrow. „You do know you sound like a dork?" – he pulled a light smile across his face, giving her a sign that he doesn't mean serious.

She blushed and lowered her head down.

God Stefan, you're so stupid. He slapped himself mentally.

„I mean" – he continued, trying to catch her attention – „There is no story behind Math" – he said seriously.

She raised her head and looked at him confused. „What do you mean?" – she asked, taking a sip of coke from her glass.

„Someone made this up" – he pointed at the pile of books Elena neatly ordered by size when they were over – „We solve these problems this way only because someone said so. If they found some other way, we would be doing it that way. Math is practically non existant, only a bunch of rules someone wrote down without any explanation why. And when you ask why you can't do it the other way, they tell you you just can't, without any explanation given. Take Literature or History for instance, they flow. One thing happens and then the other thing happens as a reprecussion of the previous thing, and it shows you how people learn nothing over the years because they allow history to repeat itself. And in 20 years time, I doubt square root of nine will help me with my problems" – he kept playing with his pen like a child, throwing it from one hand to another, pulling it through his fingers.

Wow. That was the only word Elena could think of. Wow. She had no idea he thinks about these things. She had no idea he thinks at all. Maybe this is a one time thing. Maybe this is the only thought he has on his mind. I mean, look at him. He's your typicall jock, there is no way in hell he's different than the others.

Stefan raised his head to look at her only to catch her staring at him, speechless. She had nothing to say. She didn't know what to say.

He smiled. „Come on, I'll drive you home" – he offered.

„I have to use the bathroom first" – she got up from the chair in a hurry and started walking towards the bathroom.

For God sakes, what was that Elena? How in the world did he get you so confused? And why did you keep staring in his eyes all the time? He has such pretty green eyes, though.

As she was ready to open the bathroom door, she felt someone's hand pulling her by her wrist. The person rolled her over and pinned her against the wall, keeping their hands on the wall next to her head. She closed her eyes.

„What the hell, Elena?" – she heard Matt's voice. She could feel his breath on her face. She opened her eyes and frowned at him. „What are you doing here with him?" – he asked with a rough tone of voice.

She had put her hands on his chest and pushed him of her, still frowning at him. „I'm tutoring him, Matt" – she hissed at him.

„In what?" – Matt wanted to clean her back, but she pushed him away, mad at him.

„Math" – she furrowed her brows and leaned against the wall.

Matt laughed out loud. „You really think he wants nothing else from you?" – he looked at her seriously, but she rolled her eyes at him. „Someone like him can pay for a professional tutor" – he pointed out.

She looked at him, speechless. Is this going to become a frequent thing, her not knowing what to say? Because she didn't like it. Her long tongue was the only weapon she had. But she hated the fact he's right. If he's flunking Math, he could have hired a professional tutor, not a High School student who he offered to pay double for her services.

„But I guess you're not immune to his games either" – he pointed his look at her bare shoulders.

She caught his look and furrowed her brows. Sometimes, she was so annoyed with him. She felt bad for him for loving her, because she's never going to love him back that way, but she was tired of his jealousy. Because he did get jealous at every guy who approached her, although he didn't have any right to.

„Screw you Matt" – she said through her teeth – „It's my life, I can do whatever I want with it."

Best friends are not supposed to fall in love with best friends. Dawson fell in love with Joey, and look how that ended.

Matt opened his mouth a little, in shock. He knew Elena can be like that, but he wasn't used to her being like that to him. „Fine" – he clapped his hands – „But don't come running to me when he tosses you over like you're nothing" – he turned his back at her and walked away.

She wanted to call for him and apologize. She never meant to be like that to him. But she didn't, she sighed loudly, and pressed harder against the wall with her back, trying to figure out why did the first person to cross her mind when she got pinned against the wall was Stefan. And why she didn't fight him off.

And why did she wanted it to be him.

**xxxx**

**Well, in this chapter we found out what's going on in Stefan's head. And there is some attraction between the two of them, at least Stefan feels some attraction towards her. So what will happen now when she discovered a new side of him? Will she ever allow herself to know that side better? And will Matt's words affect her? And how will Katherine react to all this? Be sure to tell me what you think! XOXO**


	3. Chapter 3

When Stefan dropped Elena of in front of her house, she started walking towards Bonnie's house, knowing her friends would kill her if she haven't told them all about Stefan. When she opened the front door, she could hear Bonnie and Caroline talking in the kitchen.

„Elena" – Caroline dropped her spoon in the box of ice cream when she saw Elena standing on the kitchen door – „How was your date?" – she cocked her eyebrow.

„Little Elena Gilbert had a date?" – Bonnie's brother came in the kitchen behind her, heading towards the fridge. He opened the freezer and frowned when he realized there is no ice cream left.

„I wasn't a date" – Elena sent a warning look to Caroline.

„Yes it was" – Caroline was persistent.

Ty closed the fridge and turned around to look at the girls. He saw Caroline in front of the kitchen counter with a spoon in her hand, eating his ice cream. Caroline kept pretending like there's nothing she's guilty of, and he rolled his eyes at her. „With who?" – he raised his look at Elena, not ready to let the topic go. His bushy hair was standing on the top of his head like a shrub, and there were big bags under his eyes. He probably stayed all night playing video games. His shirt was soiled with ketchup. On his bottoms he had kaki shorts and white, woolen slippers.

„Stefan Salvatore" – Caroline said proudly, taking another spoon of ice cream to her mouth.

Ty frowned at Elena. „A Salvatore, eh? Why would you want to have anything with them?" – he said as he took another spoon from the drawer and joined Caroline.

„What do you know about the Salvatores, Ty?" – Bonnie asked her brother when she saw a confused look on Elena's face.

„I went to school with Damon, Stefan's brother. He was a real ladies man" – Ty took a full spoon of chocolate chip ice cream, frowning at the thought of Damon Salvatore.

„Stefan is not like that, he has a girlfriend" – Elena tried to defend Stefan, not sure why, but she felt like she owes it to him. She would do it for anyone, really, if she knew what she's hearing about them were lies. She didn't know is Stefan ladies man like his brother or not, though, but she still defended him. She caught Bonnie's curious and confused look, but she shook it away. She didn't understand her actions either.

Ty raised his look at Elena and smirked at her. „Yeah, Damon had one too. For every day of the week" – he went back to fighting with Caroline for chocolate chip ice cream. „What are you doing with him, anyway?" – he furrowed his brows. Ty knew very well with what kind of people Salvatores associate with, and if Damon was the most popular kid in the school, he had no doubts Stefan is the same. He's a Salvatore, after all, whatever that meant. He also knew his sister and her friends weren't actually the most popular girls in the school.

„I'm tutoring him in Math" – Elena said proudly, making it obvious she's not one of the girls he fools around with, if there are such girls.

Ty laughed out loud, putting another spoon of ice cream in his mouth before throwing it to the sink, at Caroline's relief. „Damon had private tutors. Girls from school, they tutorted him in something else. Or he tutored them" – Ty raised his eyebrow as he moved past Elena, tapping her on the shoulder.

Could have Matt been right? Is Stefan playing some kind of a game with her? Is she his little doll on a string without even realizing? But there was something about him, a side of him she didn't know exists. She always knew him as Stefan, a captain of football team, a guy that is dating a head cheerleader, a guy who drives a red Porsche, a guy in a letterman jacket. But there was something in his eyes, something that made him more than she thought there is to him. And she couldn't explain it, because she couldn't quite figure out what that something is. Does that side even exist, or did he made it up to make his game more real? Can you even make up that kind of emotion? If he faked it, he's a brilliant actor.

„Don't listen to him" – Bonnie said when she saw a confused look on her friends face.

„Yeah" – Caroline threw her spoon in the sink too – „Tell us everything about him. How he smells? Is his skin soft like silk? Is his hair really made out of gold?" – Caroline kept piling questions up as she moved to the freezer to put what's left of the chocolate chip ice cream in. Then she gasped and turned around in shock. „Is he a douche? Is he an idiot?" – she asked like her whole world is crumbling down.

Elena giggled at her friends reaction. „No" – she lowered her head as she furrowed her brows – „He's actually pretty smart."

Caroline and Bonnie looked at each other, both with a confused look on their faces, because there was something about the way Elena said it. But they did not say anything, because both of them knew Elena would deny everything even if she did imply something with that tone of voice.

She raised her head. „I still think he's a typical womenizer who thinks he can have everything and everyone, and all he has to do to get it is to snap his fingers" – she rolled her eyes.

Ah there she is, same old Elena.

She lowered her head again because she didn't want her friends to see the doubtful look on her face. She did not understand why did she want to believe Stefan is different. Why did she want him to be different? What is it to her? You know how people say magic doesn't exist? Well, it does. You can find it in the well hidden places, and it can make your life ten times better than it already is. She doesn't know Stefan. She doesn't know the first thing about him. She's not sure she even wants to. But yet, she's still drawn to him. It's like, something keeps pulling her to him. And she wanted to tell him no to her tutoring him, and she wanted to tell him no to meeting at the Grill, but somehow, she ended up saying yes. And to her, that's unexplainable. And that's got to be magic, right?

**xxxx**

When the class ended, Elena rushed out of the classroom to meet with Bonnie and Caroline for lunch. She started walking down the hallway, that was crowded with students. When she saw Stefan standing by his locker, she froze. How is she supposed to act around him now? Does she get to greet him? Are they acquaintances now? Would he be embarassed to be seen with her in the school? No, he was not embarassed to be seen with her in the Grill, so why would he be embarassed to be seen with her in the school?

Take a deep breath, Elena. He's only a human being. A human being with a shiny hair made of gold. And that letterman jacket looks really good on him. He has strong arms. God, he looks hot. Elena wanted to slap herself for thinking about him that way. So she took a deep breath and started walking past him.

„Hey, Elena" – she heard Stefan's voice behind her as she passed him in the hallway.

She turned around with an emotionless face expression and saw him smirking at her. She started walking towards him, and when she reached him she stood so close to him that he pinned himself next to his locker.

„What do you want from me?" – she cocked her eyebrow, trying to look furious, although she felt bad for him because he had a scared expression on his face. He looked like a scared puppy, especially with those big, green eyes of his.

For a moment there, he seemed speechless, but soon enough the scared face expression turned in yet another smirk, and the muscles of his face relaxed so he moved away from the locker and stood closer to her.

„You know, this looks really sexy. People might get the wrong idea" – he said while smirking at her.

She froze. Their faces were actually touching, and she could feel his warm breath on her skin, especially around her lips. He was taller than her so he had his head lowered at her. She could feel his chest slightly pressing next to hers, more and more as people walking by them in the hallway kept pushing her closer to him, if that was even possible.

And the only thing she wanted to do was to kiss him. To put her hand on the back of his neck and pull his lips down on hers, and kiss him until there is no more air in her lungs. But she was probably bad at kissing. She kissed boys before, but she was sure Stefan Salvatore has big expectations when it comes to kissing. Kissing probably wasn't a big deal for him, since he's used to things more serious and sexual than lips finding their way to each other. He would probably want her to put her lips somewhere else and.. Yuck. Stop it, Elena.

When he noticed a confused and lost expression on her face, he chuckled. That woke her up from her daydream, so she rolled her eyes, turned around and started walking away from him.

„Wait" – he grabbed her by the wrist as she started walking away – „What did you mean what I want from you?" – he cocked his eyebrow in confusion.

She had that emotionless expression on her face again. „Why did you ask me to tutor you in Math? You're a Salvatore, you can pay for a private, professional tutor" – she said like she's acusing him of something.

He sighed and scratched the back of his neck. He did that often, it was like a little tick of his.

„My parents have no idea I'm failing Math. And I would like to keep it that way" – he said with a serious expression on his face. Elena felt kinda bad for him. How can your parents not know you're failing Math?

„Stefan, why are you talking with her?" – Elena heard a high pitched annoying woman voice behind her. The hair on her arms went straight up as she smelled a strong perfume. She could see Stefan's eyes going up, and in them she could see a mixture of happines and misgiving.

Katherine walked right past her, looking at her from the corner of her eye. Stefan smiled at her and put his hand around her shoulder, but she had put her hands around his waist and kissed him. No, she raped his mouth. Is she trying to eat him? Is she drooling? Why is her skirt so high? Is she trying to mate with him in the middle of a hallway? Elena kept looking away because every time she looked into their direction Stefan's head kept disappearing in her mouth a little bit more and she would chuckle. She looked around the hallway and no one seemed surprised with what's going on. Guess they were used to it.

After some time Stefan pushed Katherine away, lightly, cleaned his mouth with the sleeve of his letterman jacket and smiled unpleasantly.

„She's my Math tutor" – Stefan smiled at Katherine who was clinging to his arm.

She frowned. „Why do you need a Math tutor?"

„Because I'm flunking Math" – he told her as he glanced at Elena who was blushing. He would be blushing too if he had to witness two strangers making out in front of him.

„How come I don't know that?" – Katherine frowned more. Elena thought that vein on her forehead is going to pop and that all of them are going to drown in botox.

„Because we haven't talked in a while, sweetie" – Stefan smiled at her and squeezed her tighter in his hug. Katherine smiled back at him, put her head on his chest and smirked at Elena. Look at her, she's like a dog marking it's teritory.

Stefan raised his look from Katherine to look at Elena. „I have an exam on Tuesday, so can we meet during the weekend?" – he asked, but she didn't look too happy about it. „Please" – he pouted and looked at her with the eyes of a lost puppy.

Oh come on. Who could ever say no to that?

She sighed, tore a piece of paper from her notebook, wrote something on it and pushed it in his hand.

„This is my address. Saturday, 6pm, be there" – she looked at him seriously and walked away.

**xxxx**

Stefan was driving in his red Porsche around the neighborhood, trying to find Elena's house. He dropped her of once before, so he thought he would have no problem finding her house, but now all of them looked the same. He looked at the address she wrote on a piece of paper. Ah, there it is. He parked in front of the house, got out, and in the moment he was ready to ring the doorbell, the doors opened, someone grabbed him by the wrist and pulled inside.

When he got inside, he saw Elena's panting face looking up at him. He was confused because she was still holding him by his wrist, and she was holding too tight. But she looked kinda cute, he thought. She had her hair tied up in a messy bun, few locks of hair were falling down her face that was yet again clean of make up. She was wearing oversized yellow shirt over her denim shorts and she had bunny slippers on her feet. And for some reason, that was a turn on for him. He considered every girl beautiful in her own way. Every flaw only made her more special, because that's what made her her. And girls tend to hide their flaws. They pluck their bushy eyebrows and use unhealthy pills to look like a broomstick and put lenses because they're not satisfied with the color of their eyes, and they put make up on because their eyes are too big or too small and their face is not clean enough and their lips are not wide enough. But Elena had perfect silky hair and big, brown eyes and perfectly shaped full lips, and when he looked at her, he knew that's who she is, and that she's not trying to hide herself behind make up or corsets. And the idea of her being natural and the fact she seemed fine with the way she looks was a turn on for him. Plus, she was really beautiful. And sexy. Focus, Stefan.

„Hi" – she said while trying to catch her breath.

He waved at her with his free hand, she smiled at him and started pulling him upstairs. When they came into her room she had silently closed the door behind them. When she realized she's still holding on to his wrist, she pulled her hand back and blushed, to which he laughed out loud.

„Afraid your parents will catch us alone in your bedroom?" – he cocked his eyebrow, trying to make her relax.

All of a sudden, her face adopted serious face expression, and all the blush from her cheeks was gone. Her face muscles tensed as she started at him, as pain filled her eyes. She started playing with her fingers as she lowered her head down.

„My parents died two years ago" – she raised her head to look at him as she silently pronounced that sentence.

Oh shit. How could have he been so stupid? He read about that in newspapers. Family car drove off the old Wickery bridge into a river. Parents and a child, teenage daughter. The daughter survived, parents didn't. They said it was a miracle, her surviving the fall. The whole town was buzzing about that. Her last name is Gilbert, how did he not make the connection? He wanted to slap himself across the face, hard.

„Elena, I'm so sorry, I didn't know" – his face was showered with shock.

There was a light smile in the corner of Elena's lips. „It's okay Stefan. I'm not going to lynch your for something you have no idea about."

She picked a pile of books from her writing desk and sat on the floor, gesturing him to sit across her. So he did. As she kept browsing around the books, trying to find their work tasks, he was looking around her room. It was a typical girl room. Rebekah had similar. Yellow walls, hardwood floor, white, fluffy carpet in the middle of the room, dresser with a big mirror on top of it with pictures hooked up to it, big bed, wardrobe, writing desk, few shelves, pictures on the wall, and that was about it. Except few plants here and there and few stuffed animals on the bed and on the shelves. It was a perfect representation of who Elena was. He could have imagined her laying on her bed, reading a book, or painting her nails. Not that he ever imagined her on the bed. Or thought about her. And he did not have that dream where he was kissing her neck and shoulders, gently removing the straps of her bra, while she was pressing next to his chest, scratching his back with her moderately long nails. No sir. Her bed did look comfy, though. Before she went to sleep, she was probably sitting on it in her shorts and a shirt with two think straps, without bra, putting lotion on her skin. Oh God. Focus, Stefan. Anyway, he liked her room. It wasn't like Katherine's. Hers was too pink and too tacky and her clothes was all over her bedroom floor because it didn't fit into the closet.

„Here!" – Elena exclaimed when she found the tasks she circled for him in her textbook.

In that moment her bedroom door opened and Jeremy's head popped in.

„Elena, what are you doing? Your boyfriend?" – he teased her, although he was slightly shocked when he noticed Stefan sitting across his sister.

„Get out!" – Elena yelled as she tried to throw a pillow she found on the floor in Jeremy's face, but he closed the door even before Elena threw it. She turned around at Stefan who was smiling. „Sorry, younger siblings, so annoying" – she rolled her eyes. Jeremy was annoying. She loved him lots, but he was messy and he tried to find her diary and was always asking for money from her.

Stefan frowned. „Older siblings can be very annoying too, you know?" – he said seriously.

„Oh yeah?" – Elena laughed as she kept looking at the textbook.

„Yeah" – his tone of voice remained serious and it made her raise her head up. He was looking at her, and she had a feeling he wants to tell her something. Which was silly, because he didn't even know her, what could he possibly want to tell her? But there was something about the way he looked at her, like he has something to say, but has no one to listen. So she kept looking at him, hoping he will realize if he wants to tell her something, he can. And she didn't know why she wanted to know what he has to say, because he's a complete stranger. But on the other hand, she felt like she knows him forever. Wake up Elena, this is not a movie, she told herself few times in her head, but he kept looking at her with those eyes, and finally, he began to talk. „Me and my brother were super close. He was my role model, although he was my complete opposite. He never listened to our father. Not only that he didn't listen, he would often do the opposite of what father wanted just to spite him. And then I played the good son, although I wanted to do what Damon did, but I thought it's my obligation, that he's the one that's going to get us in trouble, and that I'm the one who's supposed to get us out of it. We did everything together. And then he started High School, and got himself a girlfriend, and started paryting, and started calling me weak and telling me how I'm dad's favorite son and how I'm going to end up like our father, never satisfied with anything, buried in work which is going to be my only joy" – Stefan kept looking her in the eyes as he talked, and he had no idea why he's telling her this, but he had a feeling like he can. Because he knew she's going to listen. And for some reason, she did listen to every word he had to say. And words just kept coming out of his mouth, and she kept absorbing every one of it. „I used to think it's because he grew up and I didn't. But I grew up eventually, and I became more like him, and nothing changed. Then things got weirder. Few months ago he stopped talking to me, and he asked out father to work for him" – Stefan furrowed his brows as he was clearly confused by the situation.

„And you?" – Elena asked, looking him in the eyes. They kept looking each other in the eyes for the whole time as he talked. It was nice because she could tell he's being honest. „What do you want to be when you grow up? Do you want to work for your father too?" – she asked.

It was nice, how she asked him about him. Not about his brother. Or about his father. But about him. No one except Rebekah or Nik ever asked him about him. His mother would, from time to time, but then his father would walk in and she would say that he should listen to his father, as he knows best. Sometimes Stefan thought his mother is afraid of his father. Or maybe she was too loyal to him to disagree with him. Stefan wasn't the one to talk about himself much. But the sheer fact she wanted to know made him happy. That she didn't assume he's getting a football scholarship, that maybe he has some other dreams and aspirations for later in life.

„No" – he shook his head and smiled. But it wasn't a happy smile, it was the one to cover up all the pain on his face. „Father says I'm not cut out for the job."

„What about other things?" – she asked as she smiled at him, letting him know she wants to hear, that she wants to know, and that he can tell her.

He smiled back at her. „I always wanted to be a doctor. If it weren't for my football scholarship, I would apply. I think I actually have a chance, I have good grades. Well, except Math. But that can be fixed" – he laughed as he looked down at the textbook and remembered they should be working. But somehow, this was way better than Math.

Elena furrowed her brows and wiggled her nose. „So you would rather play football than study medicine?" – she asked with a doubtful voice.

„No. Yes. I mean.. I don't know" – he scratched the back of his head.

„Why don't you apply then?"

Stefan sighed. „Because father always says, 'Stick with football son, you know you're good at it. You're going to make something of yourself to make me proud. You're better than working for your old man your whole life" – Elena could see tears grouping in his eyes as he remembered the words of his father. He kept looking her in the eyes, but she knew he wants to turn his look away.

„Wouldn't you being a doctor make your father proud?" – she frowned. She didn't know his father, but she didn't like him. And she thought it's weird how he keeps calling him father. She called her father dad, and she thought all the kids do.

Stefan laughed lightly. „I asked him the same thing, so he frowned and told me the same thing he did about working for him. 'I don't think you're cut out for the job, son'. And every of our conversations end up 'You're a Salvatore, act like one'."

Elena chuckled. „What does that even mean?"

„I have no idea" – he said.

Both of them started laughing at the same time. He had a feeling like she gets him. And it was strange how he had a feeling someone who knows nothing about him understands him better than most people in his life do. And he found it sad how things he told her today he couldn't tell his girlfriend with whom he's for two years in a relationship with. But he was also happy, because she heard every word he said, and she had an answer to everything. Even if that answer was another question.

That day, he came home at midnight. And that day, they didn't do any Math. They just talked. And he couldn't remember the last time he talked to someone for so long. And he forgot that talking can feel so good.

**xxxx**

**I enjoy writing this relationship between Stefan and Elena, how they're not aware of each other's feelings. I hope you enjoy it too. What do you think about Katherine? Maybe she's not secure in herself as she seems.**


	4. Chapter 4

Elena was sitting with Caroline and Bonnie in cafeteria during the lunch break. Caroline was going on and on about the party Missy Wilden is hosting in two weeks time, and how all of them should go and have some fun, but she very well knew none of them will end up going. Bonnie was carefully listening to her, taking in every word that would come out of Caroline's mouth, with her eyes locked on Caroline's for the whole time. Bonnie had a talent, she could listen to something she had no interest in, or at least she could pretend she's listening. Elena could never do that. She had no intention of listening to something she doesn't care about, even if it was coming from one of her friends. She would always politely imply she's not interested, or roll her eyes, or if it were one of those days, she would be open about it.

She was looking at the apple in her hands, turning it around, and every few seconds she would glance at her friends to see have they noticed her mind absence. Luckily, they haven't. Caroline was too busy with talking about what she's going to wear to the party there's 99% she's not going, and Bonnie was too occupied with listening to her, or pretending she's listening to her. For the first time Elena wanted to join the conversation that doesn't interest her only if that means she won't have to deal with these thoughts in her head. Stefan Salvatore. Stefan fucking Salvatore. That little bastard totally snuck up on her and surprised her like she's never been surprised before in her life. It's not that she likes him. There's no way in hell she would ever like him, but there was something about him that wouldn't let her be. The conversation they had last week changed her view of him completely. They talked for more than four hours, and she realized that he's completely different than she thought he would be. Her mother used to tell her to never stereotype people, because she might miss meeting her best friend or the love of her life if she started putting people in these little boxes. So she had no idea why did she decide to put Stefan in that little box.

„Oh my God" – she heard Caroline saying loudly. She nudged Elena and pointed on the other side of the cafeteria with her look. Elena jumped a little in her seat and frowned at Caroline. „He's walking in our direction" – Caroline whispered in her ear, and Elena looked at her with a confused look on her face.

Before she was able to turn around, she heard someone dropping something on the table. She turned her head around from Caroline, who's look was fixated behind Elena, and saw Stefan putting a paper on the table with a wide smile on her face. Elena smiled back at him and took a paper in her hands, carefully examining it. It was his Math exam, and on the top of the paper there was a big letter A circled with thick, red marker. She got up from the chair to face him. She raised her look from the paper and pulled a huge grin across her face.

„An A?" – she asked with a mixture of surprise and happiness in her voice.

„An A" – he repeated, smiling at her. He had such a pretty smile. His smile made his eyes smile. And his whole face smiled. And everyone around him smiled too. And there were rainbows and unicorns and everyone started singing songs from Glee and.. and before she knew it, she found herself in his hug. He had put his hands on her back, little above her bottom, lifting her shirt up a little. Her chest were pressing to his, and this was the first time she had felt how well built he is. He knew he is well built, he's a captain of a football team, his body was probably hard as a rock, but this was the first time she had felt how firm his body is, and pressing next to hers, well she couldn't lie to herself, it felt amazing. It would be rude not to hug him back, so she threw her arms around his neck, still holding the paper in her hand.

„Congratulations" – she said. She could feel him pulling her closer to him. She was standing on the tip of her toes, and she felt like she's going to fly.

„Thank you. I couldn't have done it without you" – he whispered into her ear. He pulled his fingers over her back, playing with the ends of her hair. She looked over his shoulder and noticed a bunch of cheerleaders by the table next to them are starting at them. Luckily, Katherine wasn't there. But there was something about the way they looked at them. They weren't shocked or surprised Stefan is hugging someone else, they were shocked and surprised by who he was hugging. Of course they would be. He had a perfect girlfriend who had a hair that didn't move while she walked and a perfect complexion and she didn't look like a clown when she applied red lipstick. She wore high heels and low skirts and she was not afraid of showing off her body, because she was satisfied with the way she looks. He had a girlfriend like that, and there he was, hugging some girl in tight jeans, black Converse shoes, and a blue shirt with a Cookie Monster. Her hair was all over the place and she did not have any make up on her face. Elena tried to ignore them, but soon their look became unbearable so she had let go of Stefan and pulled her hands back. He did the same.

„So, I'm throwing a party this weekend.." – he scratched the back of his neck. She found that cute now.

„Because you got and A?" – she crossed her arms on her chest so she would hide her childish shirt and cocked an eyebrow at him.

He laughed out loud while still scratching the back of his neck. „I'm running out of excuses to throw a party. But hey, every excuse is good" – he smirked. She rolled her eyes but not in a way he would think she's annoyed or irritated, but in a cute way, in a way he would think she's amused. „Anyway" – he continued – „I was thinking, maybe you would want to come. You can bring your friends too" – he pointed with his look at Caroline and Bonnie who were sitting behind them. Caroline was practically drooling, and Bonnie was looking at Elena with a shocked expression on her face. Not because of the reasons Caroline was staring at them, but because she was shocked Elena would talk, nevertheless hug, Stefan Salvatore. And by the look on her face, Bonnie knew Elena had liked it.

„We'll be there" – Caroline blurted out before Elena even got a chance to say anything. Elena looked at her in shock.

„Awesome" – Stefan said and smiled at Caroline before moving his look to Elena, who still had that shocked expression on her face. „I'll see you there, then" – Stefan said and walked away before Elena would change her mind.

Elena fell back on her chair, trying to figure out what had just happened, and how in the hell did she end up agreeing to going to the party to Stefan's house.

„You have Stefan Salvatore all over yourself" – Caroline had touched Elena's arm, rubbing her hand across it. Elena turned her gaze at Caroline, looking at her like she's crazy.

„Since when are the two of you so thight?" – Bonnie asked, raising her eyebrow at Elena when their eyes met.

„We're not thight" – Elena frowned – „But I got to know him better" – she shrugged, trying to hide the joy of discovering Stefan's other side from her friends.

„So are you saying he's not a guy in a letterman jacket who drives a red Porsche and who has a head cheerleader for a girlfriend anymore?" – Bonnie cocked her eyebrow, taking a bite of her sandwich.

„I'm saying he's more than that" – Elena blushed, keeping her look down so she would hide her blushing from her friends. Caroline probably wouldn't even notice because she was too busy with rubbing Elena's arm, but Bonnie would.

And Stefan Salvatore? He wasn't running out of excuses to throw a party. He was running out of excuses to see Elena Gilbert.

**xxxx**

Elena was standing by the side of the road near Stefan's house where she and Caroline agreed to meet. Bonnie said she would rather bite her own head off then go to a party, especially the one thrown by Stefan Salvatore. But Caroline wanted to go. She wanted to go really badly. And Elena couldn't let her go alone. Plus, Caroline told Stefan they will be there, so it would be rude not to show up.

„Elena?" – she heard a voice coming from behind her. She turned around and saw Caroline walking towards her in slow motion in what must have been 8 inch heels and ultra low black dress that was thightly wrapping around her body. Elena must have to admit to herself, Caroline looks hot dressed like that. She looks supermodel hot. Those heels only made her legs look longer although they seemed so uncomfortable. And the little black dress highlighted her thin waist and perfectly shaped hips. When Caroline came closer to her she had noticed she's not wearing too much make up, only light eyeshadow, mascara, eyeliner and lightly applied red lipstic that was making her lips look more full. Her blonde curls were bouncing on her shoulders, making her look playfull. Sexy and playfull, a perfect combination. „I'm not over dressed, am I?" – she bit her lower lip after giving Elena a kiss on the cheek, leaving lipstick on Elena's skin. Caroline giggled and cleaned it with her finger.

Elena was wearing a thight, black skirt that was barely reaching her knees and a pink, strapless top tucked in. She had flats on her feet which made her look like a dwarf standing next to Caroline. She tied her long hair in a pony tail that was reaching the middle of her back, slowly moving on the wind. She had barely any make up on her face, except eyeliner and a strawberry lip gloss, her favorite.

„No, you look perfect" – Elena smiled at Caroline as she took her hand to lead her down the path to Stefan's house.

There was a long path between Stefan's house and the main road. Lines and lines of trees were on the both sides of the path, but thankfully there were lights there, so the whole thing didn't look as creepy as it sounded. They could hear the music blasting from the house. After few minutes of walking in the silence, Elena and Caroline reached Stefan's house. There was a huge lawn in front of the house, and bunch of cars were parked there. The front doors were open and people kept coming in and out all the time. There were people making out outside, few guys with beers in their hands talking and laughing. Elena and Caroline looked at each other. The place was huge. They couldn't even call it a house since it looked more like a mansion. Neither of them were ever at Stefan's place, and both of them knew his family is loaded, but the sight before their eyes was more than they ever expected. Caroline was stunned. Elena sighed and grabbed her by her wrist, pulling her in the direction of the house.

When they walked in, they couldn't hear their own thoughts from the loud music. People were trying to talk, outshouting each other. Plenty of people were drunk by now, making out, grining against the hallway walls. Others were dancing, or trying to find their way out, bumping into each other.

„You made it" – they heard someone shouting behind them.

Both of them turned around at the same time, Elena still holding Caroline by her wrist. They saw Stefan behind them, standing with some other guy. He looked gorgeous. On his bottoms, he had thight, dark jeans and tall, black boots with untied shoe laces. He seemed to wear those a lot, it's like they were his personal signature because she hasn't seen anyone else in the school wearing them. He was wearing a grey shirt with a colorful music grafiti on it, which really made his eyes pop. His light brown hair was gelled up, and he was wearing a huge smile across his face.

„Yeah" – Elena shouted back, smiling at him.

„This is my friend Nik" – he pointed at the guy standing next to him. He was cute, but he had nothing on Stefan. The color of his hair matched Stefan's, but it was a lot shorter and a little bit curled up. He had a smirk on his face, a smirk that made him look mean, mysterious and attractive at the same time. He had light blue eyes with a little bit of green. He was few inches shorter than Stefan, in his black Converse shoes, light blue jeans and plain black shirt. „Nik, this is Elena and her friend.." – Stefan stopped when he realized he doesn't know the name of Elena's friend.

„Caroline" – Elena stepped in, smiling at Stefan. He smiled back at her, thanking her she got him out of an awkward situation.

Nik simply waved at Elena like she's a forbiden teritory, but he took Caroline's hand in his and kissed the top of it. „It's very nice to meet you, Caroline" – Nik said with his charming, British accent that made Caroline giggle like a child. „Would you like to dance?" – he asked her, still holding her hand in his, smirking at her.

Caroline looked at Elena like she's asking for her permision. Elena smiled at her, so Caroline nodded to Nik who was already pulling her in the dancing crowd by her hand. Stefan had to laugh at his friend who had guts to ask for what he wanted without any fear of being rejected. If you never try you'll never know, Nik would always say.

„Stefan!" – he heard a familiar, friendly voice behind him. He turned around and saw Rebekah who was running in his direction, a little tipsy. She had put her arms around his neck, holding a little glass in her hand. He had put his arms around her waist and lifted her from the ground a little. „Someone's drunk" – he laughed out loud while putting her on the ground.

Rebekah frowned and punched him in the chest. „I am not!" – she yelled at him with her pure British accent – „I only had few shots of tequila" – she said, clinging to his shirt so she wouldn't fall of her heels.

Elena was smiling at Rebekah who had heels probably higher than Caroline, asking herself how was even possible to walk in those things. She had skinny jeans and it was only now that Elena noticed how skinny her legs really are. She had beautiful pink, sequin top that Stefan was trying to fix, since her bra was showing, but she would giggle every time he would graze her skin.

„Elena!" – Rebekah turned around and noticed Elena standing behind her. She threw her arms around Elena's neck and pulled her in a hug. She took Elena by the shoulders and smirked at her. „Dance with me!" – she pushed her glass in Stefan's hand and pulled Elena in the crowd without giving her a chance to refuse. She loved dancing, but not when other, unfamiliar people were grining against her.

She danced with Rebekah for about twenty minutes before Rebekah excused herself to the bathroom. Elena offered her help to help her find the bathroom, but Rebekah said she will manage herself, and that Elena should stay and enjoy herself. But instead Elena stood against the wall in the hallway. She didn't want to disturb Caroline, as she noticed she's having a good time with Nik. He tried to kiss her couple of times, but Caroline's finger would find itself between their lips every time. It was fun watching them, how persistent he was, and how she enjoyed turning him down. She hasn't seen Stefan since she went dancing with Rebekah, and she didn't know anyone else there.

„I don't believe I know you" – she heard a voice coming from behind her. She turned around and saw Rory Owens standing behind her. Rory was in the basketball team. He was twice Elena's size, her head was barely reaching his chest. He was a true womenizer, Elena was sure of that. With Stefan, she was guessing, but Rory wasn't ashamed of his conquests. He slept with more than half of the girls in the school, and he was so full of himself, but Elena didn't understand why. He wasn't even that attractive, the only thing he had going for him was the fact he was in a basketball team, and apparently girls had dig that. Rory was Katherine's first boyfriend, and the word around the school was that she kept seeing him even after she started dating Stefan. But Elena didn't believe that because jumping from Rory to Stefan was like upgrading for Katherine.

„No, you don't" – Elena said, letting him know she has no intention of introducing herself to him.

Rory smirked at her. „You're fierce, I like that" – he pulled his fingers over the bare skin of her arm. He lowered his head – „Let's go somewhere private so you can show me how fierce you really are" – he whispered into her ear before raising his head up and pulling a huge grin across his face.

Elena furrowed her brows. „No, thank you."

A grin disappeared from his face and he rolled his eyes. „Oh come on, we both know you want to" – he grabbed her by the wrist and pulled her closer to him.

Elena didn't know what to do. She was scared, and her breathing became heavier. There was fear written all over her face. She wasn't some defensless girl, she knew how to take care of herself, but Rory was twice her size and he was drunk. Everyone were drunk. No one would even notice, and those who would, would consider it some kind of charade, since no one says no to Rory Owens.

When she was ready to start pulling her wrist out of his hand, he had let go of her hand, and she saw him getting pinned against a wall. She saw Stefan holding collar of his shirt and pushing him against a wall. Rory was even taller than Stefan, but Elena doubted he's stronger. He was skinny, and the muscles on Stefan's arm stiffened as he held Rory against the hallway wall.

„The lady said no" – Stefan hissed through his teeth as he pushed him a little bit closer to the wall.

„I've learned that when girls say no, they mostly mean yes" – Rory smirked at Stefan.

Stefan frowned and grabbed the collar of Rory's shirt a little bit harder. He detached him from the wall only to push him harder against it this time. „Get out of my house" – Stefan said angry. He had let go of Rory as he stumbled from the house.

Stefan turned around to face Elena and put his hand on her arms. She was shaking, so he rubbed his hands over her arms, trying to make her stop shaking. „Are you okay?" – he asked concerned.

Elena swalloved, but she nodded her head. She tried to smile at him, but she couldn't make her lips move, at all. Stefan looked at her and he looked like he wants to take away all the pain she's feeling. She had no idea is she imagining all this, but it felt nice. It made her feel special. He exhaled and lowered his hand on hers, taking her in.

„Follow me" – he told her as he started leading her through the crowd. And she followed him with no reluctance. For some reason she felt like she can trust him, like he's going to take her somewhere safe, from all these people. Maybe it was stupid from her to think that, but part of her didn't care. He was leading her all the way up the stairs, across the hallway on the second floor. Finally they reached the doors at the end of the hallway, so he opened them and lead her inside. He didn't turn the lights on, but he closed the doors, and she still felt like she can trust him. She could feel his body scratching next to hers, so she shivered, but it was a good kind of shiver. She heard something click, and soon enough she could see starry sky. He climbed out and gave her a hand to help her climb out too. She gave him her hand and he pulled her outside. She looked around herself and realized they're standing on the roof. She could see lines and lines of trees, people's cars, people making out. Stefan sat down so she sat next to him.

„No one will bother us here" – he said, smiling at her. „Rory is a douche" – he said while looking up at the sky. Elena wondered does he know Katherine dated him. He probably knows. So she wondered is that why Stefan doesn't seem to like him. „He took advantage of Rebekah" – he continued – „He promissed her everything, and when he got what he wanted, he never called her again. I was ready to beat the hell out of him, but Rebekah stopped me, told me he's not worth it and that I shouldn't stoop down on his level" – he looked at Elena who was carefully watching him. He laughed out loud. „Your make up is smudged all over your face."

She pulled her finger under her eye and saw a black trace of eyeliner on it. Her eyes got teary and while she was trying to hide her tears from Stefan, she probably smudged the eyeliner. This is why she never wears make up, it turns into a disaster, and she ends up walking around like a freak.

He laughed again. „It's only worse now. Here" – he got closer to her and put his finger on her face. Her eyes were fixated on him, but he didn't look directly into hers, his eyes were locked on her face. She didn't know where is he exactly looking, her cheekbones, her nose, or her lips. His eyes were discretely flying all over her face, but it was like he was too afraid to look her in the eyes. He cleaned her face with few gentle brushes of his finger, and pulled his hand back without once looking her in the eyes. „There" – he said as he smiled at the sky.

„I'm sorry for that" – she said, although she had no idea why or what she's apologizing for. But she didn't know what else to say.

He turned his head at her and smiled. „I like you more without make up anyway" – he said as he turned his head back to the sky. Shit. Did he really say that? Out loud? While she's in his presence? Focus, Stefan. Maybe if you try hard enough it will be like you never said it, he thought. Try to think about something else, he kept telling himself. His mind was crowded with thoughts. Elena. No, don't think about Elena. Think about Oreos. Elena on the pile of Oreos in her bikini. No, Elena on the pile of Oreos naked. No, don't think about Oreos either. Elena's lips. Stefan's lips on Elena's lips. Making love to Elena on the roof. Making love? Seriously Stefan? Okay, having sex with Elena on the roof. Having Oreos after having sex with Elena on the roof. Having a child with Elena and naming it Oreo. Having a baby with Elena in the shape of an Oreo. Mmmm. Focus, Stefan. Fuck, this is not helping at all.

She blushed. She didn't know he has preferences when it comes to her look. She didn't know he thinks about her with make up, or without make up, or at all. She was glad he does, though, because she thinks about him too.

„Are you sure Katherine won't be looking for you?" – she asked to break an awkward silence.

„I'm sure Katherine has thing more important than me on her mind" – he lowered his head. She was shocked with him saying that. She thought they're in a happy relationship. „She wasn't always like this, you know? When I met her, she was.. happy. She was happy with who she is and with what she has and she didn't try so hard to be noticed. We used to stay up all night and talk over the phone, and sheer fact I was holding her hand in public was enough for her. And now, that girl is gone. We haven't talked in months. Sometimes I feel I'm only a trophy to her, like she's dating me because I'm Stefan Salvatore, captain of the football team" – he said in a sad voice, still staring at the sky. He looked like he's counting the stars.

„Do you love her still?" – Elena asked curiously. She was afraid he won't like her question, although she didn't know why. He told her everything about his life.

He sighed. „Yes and no. Part of me will always love Katherine. She's the first girl I ever loved. I think that stays with you, you know? No matter who you end up marrying, and no matter who turns out to be the love of your life, your first love always stays the part of you. But the girl I fell in love doesn't exist anymore. This girl that possessed her body, her I don't even like. She wasn't like this before" – he repeated the last sentence, like he's trying to convince Elena Katherine wasn't always this person.

It was weird hearing Stefan talk about these things. She never knew he thinks about these things. She never knew any of the guys think about these things. And that was what's so amazing about Stefan, he keeps surprsing her.

„I know" – Elena exhaled.

Stefan turned his confused look at her. „You do?" – he raised his eyebrow.

Elena nodded. „Me and Katherine, we used to be best friends."

Stefan looked at her with shock. It makes sense she wouldn't tell him that. She probably didn't mention their friendship to anyone. People couldn't know she was once friends with someone who is sorted in the group of nobodies.

„What happened?" – he asked curiously.

„Life" – Elena shrugged. This time his look was fixated on her, and she kept looking at the sky. „People started noticing her. She became flirty and she knew how to get under people's skin. Bonnie told me others said she's a manipulative bitch. She started dressing.." – Elena stopped in the middle of the sentence when she realized it's his girlfriend she's talking about as the world slutty almost escaped her lips – „provocative" – she said, which made Stefan chuckle, like he knew what she wanted to say – „and the boys started noticing her" – Elena sighed.

„Boys notice you too. You're beautiful" – Stefan said as he locked his eyes on her face. She could feel him looking at her, but she couldn't stop herself from blushing. „I mean, you're hot" – he tried to fix the situation when he saw her blushing, but that only made her blush more. He hasn't seen a girl blushing to a compliment for such a long time now. Girls he knew were full of themselves, thinking they're the pretiest and sexiest, and none of them knew how to appreciate the compliment. Other than Rebekah, Elena was the first to take a compliment in such a nice manner.

„Thank you" – Elena said as she raised her head to look at him. Their eyes locked, and in that moment the only thing he wanted to do was to kiss her. But he couldn't. It would be wrong. It would be cheating. And he didn't want to be a cheater. She probably doesn't even want to be kissed by him. He didn't know is that look in her eyes want or fear or a little bit of both, but her lips trembled. He wanted to stop them trembling with his, but then she parted her lips a little and that woke him up from a trans. „I was never in love. Is that sad?" – she asked while looking him in the eyes.

He shook his head. „No. You simply haven't met anyone worth of your love. You're young, you have time" – he smiled at her. And in that moment, he wanted to love her. He wanted to take her in his arms and love her like there's no tomorrow. Partly because she was probably never loved that way, partly because he was convinced loving her would be wonderful, and being loved by her even more wonderful. But she would never be able to love him, he's not worthy of her love. She's too pure for him, she's too good for him. She's simply better than him, but still, he wanted to love her, and that made him feel weird. Because he already loved Katherine. Kind of. But he wasn't in love with her, not anymore.

„Stefan, I know you're here, you know you can't hide from me" – they heard a voice coming from behind them as someone tried to climb on the roof. They saw a little blonde head sticking out from the hole in the roof. Rebekah threw her shoes on the roof, and then climbed on it, practically rolling into their direction.

„Ouch" – she said when she had hit her head. She raised her look and saw Stefan and Elena looking at her, laughing. „Oh, I can leave the two of you alone if you want to" – she cocked her eyebrow at them.

Elena stopped laughing and blushed again. She needs to learn how to control that. „No, I need to find Caroline anyway" – she got up, clearing the spot for Rebekah to sit next to Stefan. Rebekah crawled next to her friend and scooted close to him. She hated that damn roof.

„No need, my brother is taking a good care of her" – Rebekah said as she held onto Stefan's arm.

Elena's eyes widened and she looked at Rebekah in shock.

Rebekah laughed out loud and started kicking with her bare feet on the roof. „Not like that. He would never take advantage of her, he's one of the good ones" – she winked at Elena. „This one taught him how to treat the ladies" – Rebekah pulled her fingers through Stefan's hair and he slapped her hand off. He hated when someone touched his hair. Especially when he had put gel on it. No one touches his hair. He wouldn't even let Oreos touch his hair. Okay, maybe he would, if they had hands.

Elena exhaled in relief. „Then I need to use the bathroom" – she waved at both of them and disappeared in the hole in the roof.

„You and Elena, eh?" – Rebekah kicked Stefan in the ribs with her elbow.

„You're drunk" – he said while pulling her closer to him and putting his hand around her shoulder. She rested her head on his shoulder. She hated that roof, but she had to admit the view from up there was amazing.

„No, I was drunk, then I puked in your bathroom" – she giggled.

„My bathroom? Like the one in my room?" – he raised his voice at her, frowning.

„Exactly that one" – she giggled some more.

„Bekah, that's disgusting. You could have used Damon's" – Stefan rolled his eyes.

She lifted her head from his shoulders and gave him a kiss on the cheek before putting her head back on his shoulder. „You brought Elena up here? You never bring anyone up here. Except me, obviously."

„She needed it" – he sighed.

„I saw what you did for her."

„I would do that for anyone, really."

„I know you would."

„Have you seen Katherine?"

„Yes. She's talking to your brother outside" – Rebekah closed her eyes as her head fell in his lap.

„Damon's here?" – Stefan frowned.

„Aha. He's looking for you. He's not happy. He said someone was having sex in his room."

„Well, at least some is" – Stefan rolled his eyes as he started pulling his fingers through Rebekah's hair. Rebekah laughed out loud at his comment.

„Stefan?"

„Yeah?"

„If you want to dump Katherine to be with Elena, that's perfectly fine with me" – she said with a sleepy voice.

Stefan chuckled. Sometimes he forgot how much Rebekah can't stand Katherine.

„I'm not dumping Katherine for anyone. Especially not Elena" – he said silently.

„Don't act like you would never date someone who's not categorized as popular, because I know you Salvatore, and that's not you" – she said with a strict voice.

Stefan laughed. „It's not that I wouldn't date her. It's that someone like her would never fall for someone like me."


	5. Chapter 5

„He is so adorable" – Caroline was squeaking behind Elena while holding on to Bonnie's arm on their way back from school. It was a lovely warm, sunny day and they've decided to walk it. Caroline was still under the impression of the last weeks party in Stefan's house, about which Elena didn't want to talk about, so both Caroline and Bonnie dropped the subject, but that didn't mean she could stop Caroline from talking about it. Apparently Nik, Stefan's friend, had left quite an impression on her too. „His eyes are blue, but sometimes it seems like they're green, and then sometimes they're both. And his hair is so silky. My hand went over it few times while we were dancing" – Caroline giggled as she reminisced hours and hours of dancing with Nik before Elena came out of nowhere and told her it's time for them to go home. She didn't want to go, but she couldn't let Elena walk home alone in the middle of the night. She was trying to find out what happened and why did Elena practically drag her outside, but Elena wasn't willing to talk about it. On Monday from one group of people she heard Stefan and her were having sex in his parents room, from other group of people that they were making out in the bathroom, some people were saying they were getting high in the attic. She knew Elena, and she knew none of that happened, but she was more interested in what did happen than the silly rumors people were spreading around the school. „And his accent. Oh God his accent" – Caroline yelled as she threw her arm around Bonnie's shoulder. Bonnie laughed out loud at her friends silliness. Caroline wiggled her nose and pulled a wide smile across her face. „And he's a true gentleman. He tried to kiss me few times, but I think that was because he had few beers to drink, and when I stopped him he wasn't unpleasant like boys know to be" – she smiled happily. She furrowed her brows as she glanced at Elena who was walking in front of them like a zombie. „Elena" – she said her friends name with a whisper – „What happened with Stefan?"

Elena stopped walking, but she did not turn around to face them. Caroline and Bonnie stopped behind her, and Bonnie pushed her elbow in Caroline's ribs, because she had heard some rumors around the school too. She didn't believe they were true either, but with the way Elena was acting, she knew something did happen. But she also learned that when something happens it's better to leave Elena to be until she's ready to talk about it herself. Pushing her to open up would only make the situation worse.

„Nothing happened" – Elena replied silently, but she did not turn around to face them, nor did she start walking again.

„Is it true, what happened with Rory Owens?" – Bonnie blurted out. Caroline looked at her in shock since few seconds ago she was pushing her elbow in Caroline's ribs for doing the same thing she was doing now.

Elena turned around to face her friends. Her face was serious, and she looked exhausted, but there were no signs of tears. She was wearing an oversized pink hoodie, and her hair was tied up in a messy bun. She looked like she hasn't slept for days.

„Depends on what you heard" – Elena furrowed her brows and pointed a sharp look at her friends.

Caroline got goosebumps from her look. Elena knew to be scary when she wanted to be. Caroline and Bonnie looked at each other, not sure how they should play their next move, because Elena looked like she's going to explode if she hears something she doesn't like.

„We've heard a lot of things" – Bonnie said as she kept looking at Caroline with the corner of her eye.

Elena cocked her eyebrow at Bonnie. She wasn't in the mood to play games and she did not want to keep any secrets from her friends. „Rory was being Rory so Stefan stepped in. That's all" – Elena sighed.

Well, that was way different than all the other stories they have been hearing around the school. And way better. Bonnie never thought she will be hearing rumors about Elena around the school. Elena wasn't the type to find herself in the middle of situations people would spread rumors about. But there was a certain price to pay for being associated with Stefan. Bonnie simply didn't understand why was Elena willing to pay that price. She even hardly knows the guy and all these years she has been saying what a pretentious dumbass he is. Since she started tutoring him, something in Elena.. changed. And Bonnie didn't know was it for better or worse, but she could see a change in her best friend's behavior.

„And what happened after?" – Caroline was not ready to drop the subject.

Elena sighed as she turned her head around in other direction to avoid the look of her friends. „He took me somewhere quiet, somewhere we won't be bothered by the people or the music, somewhere where he was sure no one will find us" – a small smile curved in the corner of her lips as she remembered how Stefan took her to the roof – „And we talked" – she turned her head back so she could see her friends faces.

Caroline and Bonnie looked at each other again, confused by sudden change on Elena's face. Her face became lighter, because her smile made it to. And neither of them understood why, because they both knew Elena would never fall for Stefan. Both of them knew Elena is waiting a prince on the big, white horse, not the other way around.

„Talked? About what?" – Bonnie frowned. He knows how to talk? About something that would interest Elena? She did not know Stefan brings girls to the quiet place where they can be alone so they coul talk. Sounds like some other guy.

And in a way, he was some other guy. Because Bonnie did not know the first thing about Stefan. And neither did Elena until three weeks ago. And three weeks was all that she needed to realize the guy she was seeing around the school does not exist. That a guy she was hearing rumors about and made assumptions about is not even real. That every opinion she had of him is wrong. But there was no way she would explain that to Bonnie, or Caroline even. Because then they would know there's a slight possibility Elena is falling for him. Even worse, she would have to admit to herself there's a possibility she's falling for him.

„Nothing. Everything" – Elena shrugged, not feeling comfortable with telling her friends what they talked about, because she was sure Stefan told her all of that in confidence she won't be spreading it around, not even to her closest friends. And she wasn't about to.

Bonnie could see the change in her friend, but Elena could see the change in herself too. She was confused about her feelings, but worse than that, she was afraid of them. Because she knew there is no way she could act on them, so she was afraid of having them, because she wasn't ready to be in love with some guy who is never going to feel the same way about her. That's not how it was supposed to go. She kept feeling sorry for Matt for loving her, and she didn't want to became that person. She wanted to be loved as much as she wanted to love. And with Stefan, she could never have that, because a) he has a girlfriend and b) there is no way someone like him would ever be with someone like her. He may not be the guy from the rumors, but he has a reputation, and in order to keep it, he can't be with someone who is a nobody. Would Stefan be ready to throw away his reputation in order to be with her, is what flew through her head. And she trembled, because she opened herself to the possibility of wanting to be with him.

Bonnie didn't know what else to say, and Caroline was confused with what was going on. Because unlike Bonnie, she actually thought it's possible that Elena is falling for Stefan. And she did not understand why did Bonnie find it so weird, when few minutes ago she was telling her how adorable Nik is, and he happens to be Stefan's best friend. So if Caroline could fall for Nik, why couldn't Elena fall for Stefan?

„Anyway" – Caroline shook her head and pulled a wide smile across her face. „We have more important things to discuss. Like, what are we going to wear to Spring Formal" – Caroline jumped a little and clapped her hands.

Bonnie laughed out loud, but when she realized Caroline is not kidding, her face expression became serious.

„I'm not putting on a dress and going to a dance" – Bonnie frowned. She hated everything that had to do with dressing up, especially when other people told her she has to dress up. She had her own idea of fun that was a little bit different than other people her age had, and Elena respected that, but Caroline found it weird, so she kept pushing Bonnie in her direction.

„Spring Formal?" – Elena asked curiously, since they didn't attend any of the dances this year. Caroline and her used to go alone previous years, but this year they weren't up to it, or better to say, Elena wasn't up to it.

Caroline teared off her look from Bonnie and looked at Elena who seemed more interested in the topic. „Yes, it's our last school dance before the Prom, and we have to go" – Caroline tried to reason with Elena, but Elena did not seem as interested as Caroline hoped she would be. „Please" – she begged with an annoying, high pitched voice.

Elena rolled her eyes. She looked at Bonnie who was by now used to Caroline begging her to go so she had no emotions on her face. Then she looked back at Caroline who had big, teary puppy eyes. Elena pulled a light smile across her face. „Fine, we'll go" – she laughed a little. Caroline's face lit up when she heard those words coming from Elena's mouth, so she screamed, jumped of the ground, and threw her arms around Elena's neck.

„Thank you, thank you, thank you" – Caroline kept shouting in her ear excidetly. She pulled her body back and put her hands on Elena's shoulders – „You know, they say these dances are life changing events" – Caroline winked at her before skipping off in front of her.

**xxxx**

„No Katherine, I'm not cheating on you with Elena" – Stefan was lying on his bed while talking on the phone with Katherine. Since the party, there were some rumors about him and Elena, some awful, some less awful, but neverthless, rumors that were not true. He did not talk to Elena since the party because he was afraid that would launch new avalanche of rumors. Plus, he was afraid of her reaction to the current rumors, if she had heard them.

He missed her. He could honestly say that he had missed her. It's been only few days, but there are so many things he wanted to tell her. And there are so many things he wants her to tell him. He wants to know more about her, he wants to know everything about her. He would lay awake at night, fantasizing how would it feel to tell her what he feels, and how would it feel for her to tell him she feels the same. He would still think about how would it be to kiss her, or to be with her, but those fantasies became rarer. What he felt for Elena, it was more than physical. Talking with her would be enough for him. Listen her speak would be enough for him. Hell, at this point, being in her presence would be enough.

And all of a sudden a wave of guilt overshadowed him because he was thinking about Elena while talking to Katherine.

„I know what people are saying, I'm telling you it's not true" – he rolled his eyes. Like he ever gave her a reason to doubt him. He was the one that should be asking her where she was for the whole time because the only time he had seen her is when she gave him a kiss on the cheek while she was passing by to the bathroom. But he had no intention to start that conversation. Could it be that a part of him doesn't even care?

„Whatever. I have to go now, I promised Ashley I'll help her choose her dress for the Spring Formal" – he heard on the other side of the line. He had no idea which Ashley, since every other girl on the cheerleading squad was named Ashley. He never thought he's going to meet so many Ashleys in his life.

„Have fun. Love you" – he said while getting up.

She hanged up. He sighed as he threw his phone back on the bed. Why is she like this? Why did she have to become this person? Is what other people think about her really more important than their relationship? Does she even love him anymore? Did she ever love him? Or did she only use him to become who she is now? And more importantly.. does he love her? Yes. He does. He will always be fond of her, she was his first love after all. But is he in love with her? No. This person she became is not even the girl he fell in love with in the first place. He should have listened to Rebekah months ago when she told him Katherine is not the right girl for him. But he was too afraid. Of being alone. Of being without her. He liked the sound of them as a couple. Stefan and Katherine, it had a nice ring to it. You know what has better ring to it? Stefan and Elena. Their names kinda collide into a perfect mass. If you say their names fast together, they sound as one. Why her? Why did he have to meet her? Why didn't he let her find him someone else for tutoring? She's.. she's.. well, there is no other word to describe Elena Gilbert than extraordinary. And beautiful. And honest. And smart. And compassionate. And a good listener. And so many other things he has yet to discover. And God, how badly he wants to discover them all. Good sides, bad sides, if she has any, all of them.

He can't think about her anymore. He can't think about anything. Oreos. He will go down to the kitchen and have some Oreos. They always help. And they're cheaper than a shrink. He opened the doors of his room and saw his brother passing down the hallway to his room.

„Damon" – he called after him. Mother and father were away for a week, so Damon doesn't have any work to do, since father doesn't let him handle anything in the firm without him. Damon was wearing his running shoes, red shorts and plain white shirt. He has probably been running. When Stefan called him, he was taking out his earphones out. He slowly turned around and looked at him with and emotionless face expression. „Can I talk to you?"

Damon nodded and started walking towards him. „What's up?" – Damon asked casually, smirking at his brother.

„When you were in High School, you were going out with that girl, Natasha was it?" – Stefan asked while scratching the back of his neck.

„Oh yeah" – a huge grin appeared on Damon's face as he remembered his glory days.

Stefan's eyes widened. Disgusting. „Did you ever feel like the two of you drifted apart?" – he asked.

Damon frowned. „No, she was putting out every day, sometimes more than once" – Damon nodded with a serious face expression.

Stefan's eyes widened some more. Disgusting. „I'm not talking about sex. I'm talking about problems in communication" – he tried to explain.

Damon laughed out loud. „Brother, I wasn't with Natasha because I wanted to talk" – Damon winked at him.

Wow. Stefan hadn't realized what an ass his brother has become. Okay, he did, but not this much.

Damon frowned when he saw dissatisfied look on his brother's face. „Problems with Katherine?" – he asked worried.

Stefan started scratching the back of his neck again. „Yes. And no" – he said silently. Almost through a whisper.

„Why yes, and why no?" – Damon seemed interested. He probably missed all the drama, at least it seemed like he did.

„Things between me and Katherine haven't been great for a long time now" – Stefan started talking, feeling weird for talking about this with his brother. They haven't talked seriously for ages.

„You mean the sex is bad?" – Damon smirked, but stopped as soon as he saw his brother is not amused with his question.

„No, the sex is great, Damon" – Stefan rolled his eyes. Why was his brother convinced the sex is the most important part in a relationship? Sure, it's pretty great, and it's a crucial segment of a relationship, but it doesn't make a relationship as a whole, and you can live without it. Whereas, without trust, there is no relationship to begin with. „But sex is all there is to it. And there is someone else" – he blurted out. Those words came out of his mouth unplanned. Is there someone else? Does Elena count as someone else?

Damon's eyes widened now. „Stefan, did you cheat on your girlfriend and now you feel guilty?" – he asked with a well known smirk on his face.

Stefan frowned. „No. I would never" – he said in defense, angry Damon would even consider such a thing – „This other girl.. she's different. We talk, and she listens, and she has that something, you know?" – Stefan smiled as Elena's face flashed in front of his eyes.

„Seems like you have a lot to think about" – Damon patted his brother on the shoulder, turned around and walked away to his room.

There is something to think about? He knows what he wants, or who he wants, better to say. The only problem is he could never have her.

**xxxx**

Day after, Elena asked Jenna to help her pick out a dress for Spring Formal. Jenna was surprised Elena is going, but when it comes to shopping, you didn't have to ask her twice. Something her and Elena had in common. After hours and hours of searching, they found a perfect knee length, strapless, black dress with golden bits around the skirt part. Somehow, Jenna convinced her to buy high heels, in which she kept walking around the house every day until the day of the dance, so she wouldn't embarrass herself and fall in the middle of decorated gym. Jenna curled up the tips of her hair and tied it in a tail, leaving few curled up locks lingering around her face.

From the moment Caroline picked her up in front of her house, she kept telling her how amazing she looks, although when they finally arrived, Elena was convinced Caroline looks better than anyone with her natural curls jumping on her shoulders, in a white dress with butterfly sleeves that was barely reaching her knees and snowy white pumps. She would look innocent if it weren't for the cherry red lipstick on her lips.

Elena spent the whole night sitting on a chair decorated with flowers. The theme of the dance was A Midsummer Night's Dream, which Caroline forgot to mention, so she was probably the only girl in there with a black dress. Only few minutes after they arrived, Nik came over to Caroline to ask her for a dance. Caroline looked at Elena with her pleading puppy look, to which Elena nodded her head. Who was she to keep her away from having the time of her life? Who knows, maybe Nik is the love of her life. Her look was searching for Stefan, but he came two hours later with Katherine on his arm. Two of them danced for few songs, then Katherine went out of the gym with her minions, to God knows where. Since then, he was hanging out with Rebekah who seemed a little bit tipsy, and Stefan kept fixing her short pink dress that kept rising on her thighs. She kept glancing at Stefan, but he didn't seem to notice her.

Elena sighed. Caroline was now in the corner of the gym, openly flirting with Nik. He kept playing with her fingers, and she kept biting her lower lip. It was only a matter of seconds before something happens. Everyone were dancing, except Katherine and her minions who were still gone, probably putting on few more kilos of make up on their face. Stefan was twirling Rebekah on the dance floor. And yeah, there they go. Nik had put his hands around Caroline's waist and pulled her closer to him and kissed her on the lips. When he detached his lips from hers, it was her who had put her hands on the back of his neck and pulled him in for another kiss, that was more than innocent peck on the lips he gave her seconds ago.

„Having a good time?" – she heard a familiar voice. She raised her head from the table and noticed Stefan standing in front of her. He was wearing a tux, and his hair was perfectly gelled up. Him walking around in a tux should be forbidden by law, he might give someone a heart attack. She was close to having one at the moment.

„Yeah" – she smiled at him before lowering her head down.

He pulled out a chair and sat on it. He was watching her from the moment he came in the gym. She was the first person he had noticed, because his eyes were searching for her, praying she would be there. He also noticed she spent the whole night sitting on that damn chair, and for him, it was incomprehensible how no one asked her to dance with them. Or how she didn't have an escort to the dance in the first place. Because she looked like a goddess. Any guy would be lucky to have her. But not any guy deserves her. He most certainly doesn't.

„Now, why do I find that hard to believe, with you sitting on your chair for the whole night" – he laughed lightly.

She raised her look, trying to hide her surprise. She did not know he had even noticed her. He wasn't looking at her when she was looking at him. Their looks must have passed each other. She glanced over his shoulder and noticed Caroline and Nik still making out. She chuckled.

„It seems that our friends are getting along well" – she pointed at Nik and Caroline with her look.

Stefan turned her head around, confused, but when he looked back at her, he had a smile on his face. „You don't have to worry about him. He's harmless" – Stefan waved his hand at her.

„Well, he does seem to know how to treat a lady" – she said when she noticed his hands are not going under Caroline's waist. Most of the guys would be trying to get their hands under her dress by now.

Stefan grinned as Elena's look fell on his. „Well, he did learn from the best" – indicating to himself.

Elena rolled her eyes before releasing a light laugh. God, she's so beautiful. Her face gets more beautiful when a smile appears on it, if that's even possible.

„You look beautiful" – he said, although that was pretty obvious. He checked her out, from the tip of her toes to the top of her head. From her milky, long legs, over her perfect waist wrapped in a thight black dress, to her head which contained the most beautiful smile he had ever seen, perkiest nose, big, beautiful eyes and silky chestnut hair he wanted to pull his fingers through.

Elena blushed and lowered her look for a second. „Thank you. You don't look bad either" – she practically whispered.

„I know" – he grinned – „It's impossible for a Salvatore to look bad in a tux, it's in our genes. I could build a career around it."

She rolled her eyes at him again, before pulling a smile across her face. He was right, though. He looked like he jumped from an fashion ad.

_Childhood leaving is easy to do, the things you wanted I bought them for you.._

„God, I love this song" – she said when the song started playing. She glanced over the decorated gym and noticed all the couples slow dancing to the song.

Wait a minute. Did she say that out loud?

She turned her head back at Stefan who was now standing in front of her with his hand stretched out. „Miss Gilbert, may I ask for this dance?" – he asked with a smile on his face.

„What about Katherine?" – she blurted out.

Stefan frowned before rolling his eyes. He grabbed her hand and pulled her up from the chair. Like that wasn't enough, he pulled her closer to him, so close that she could feel her chest pressing next to his, and her knees trembled as they rested on his. Her arms became stiff as he kept holding her fingers in his hands, and her head fell on his shoulder as his lips approached her ear. Goosebumps appeared on her skin as she felt his warm breath on her skin.

„Screw Katherine" – he whispered into her ear. She almost smiled, but she contained herself. He had let go off one of her hands and grabbed the other thighter into his grip and started leading her towards the dance floor. She glanced over his shoulder where Caroline was standing. She wasn't making out with Nik anymore, but watched her with a confused smile on her face. Nik came back and gave her a glass. She pointed at Stefan and her with her look, to which Nik turned around and smiled. Then he whispered something in Caroline's ear, something that washed all the confusion from her face and made her giggle.

_I watched you suffer a dull aching pain, now you decided to show me the same.._

The song kept playing as they reached the dance floor. Stefan had put his arms around her waist, pulling her closer to him, and she had put her arms around his neck. She lowered her head so she doesn't have to face him, lightly pressing it to his chest. They didn't talk, they didn't even make a sound, they just kept swaying in the rhythm of the music.

_Wild, wild horses, couldn't drag me away.._

And soon enough, everything but them stopped existing. Elena had a feeling like they're bouncing on a fluffy cloud, because she kept losing ground under her feet. It was good she had her arms around his neck or else she would fall on the ground, but she didn't know he would never let her fall, she would find herself in his arms even before she would realize her feet betrayed her. There were no people, no talking, no chair crunching, and no wind that was driving into the window of the gym. There were only them and a slow song to which both of them prayed there is no ending, in a world they created only for themselves. Stefan had no idea what would have to happen for him to let go of her. Even if there was flood or fire, he would kept holding her in his arms, close to his chest, feeling her heartbeat next to his, protecting her from everything that is heading their way. Not even Katherine screaming and kicking at him would make him wake up from this dream he kept dreaming for a long time now. He had a strong urge to protect Elena. She felt so weak in his arms, and he had a feeling like a stronger winds rage would blew her from her feet, and he was afraid if that happens she would be lost to him. And he could not handle that. He could not imagine his life without Elena. Even if he could not have her the way he wanted, even if he could not kiss her or hug her or give himself a chance to fall in love with her, sheer fact she was a part of his life was enough for him.

Maybe another world exists, world a lot like theirs, some parallel universe in which they're together. Maybe some other version of him is deserving of her, or maybe some other version of her has given him a chance to love her. Maybe other version of him is a better man, man who respects his father and has a loving relationship with his matter, who is best friends with his brother and who has Elena by his side. He hoped that other version of him loves Oreos too, because everyone should love Oreos. And that other version is friends with Rebekah and Nik, because he wouldn't change them for anything in the world. Maybe other version of him did not get sucked in this popularity contest and is not stuck in a relationship with a girl he doesn't know anymore, and with a girl he's not in love with for a long time now. Maybe that man is better than sharing a bed with a woman he has no love for in his heart, mind and body. That was a comforting thought, that some other version of him is with Elena, kissing her, touching her, making love to her, pulling his fingers through her hair, bringing her breakfast to bed.

And maybe one day, he could become that man. Maybe they're supposed to find each other in every universe there is. Maybe they're meant to be.

Yeah. Meant to be.

She could feel Stefan's hands rising up her back, the tips of his fingers crashing with the bare skin of her shoulders. His skin colliding with hers, is it accidental or did he do it on purpose, she couldn't help from asking herself. Somehow, he pulled her even closer to him, and now she was scratching the back of his neck with her fingers, like he's used to doing himself. That had put a smile on his face. He lowered his head on her shoulder, feeling floral scent around her collar bone, as he buried his nose in her hair.

„You smell like Oreos" – he said as the song reached the end.

„What?" – she asked confused.

What in the God's name did just come out of his mouth? You smell like Oreos? Really? Really, Stefan?

He had let go of her waist and pulled himself back. „Nothing" – he said with a confused look on his face.

She furrowed her brows. „But I could have sworn you said - "

„I didn't" – he interrupted her – „I should really go back to Rebekah" – he scratched the back of his neck, remembering her fingers were there. He turned around, exhaled, and started walking away. He had a feeling he left his heart on the dance floor.

He left her alone in the middle of a dance floor as another slow song started playing. She was confused and shocked and.. did he just tell her she smells like Oreos? Should she take that as a compliment? She turned around and headed towards the exit. Caroline noticed her leaving so she ran after her.

Stefan reached Rebekah and Nik who were giggling in the corner of the gym where Caroline and Nik were making out.

„Man, you hate slow dancing" – Nik had put his hand on Stefan's shoulder, meeting his confused look. „You're slowly falling for this girl and you don't even know it" – he laughed a little, not sure should he feel sorry for his friend, or happy that he finally found someone who makes him happy. Happier than he had seen him in a while.

„Slow dancing is not the problem" – Stefan furrowed his brows, keeping a serious look on his face – „The problem is, when I'm with her.. I smell Oreos" – Stefan looked at his friends who now had shocked face expressions.

If this statement came from anyone else's mouth, both Rebekah and Nik would burst into laughter. But this was Stefan. When Stefan first told Nik about Elena, Nik thought that's only an effect of what's going on with Katherine, and that he would feel like that with any girl who has nothing in common with Katherine. And he didn't even have to say anything to Rebekah, she knew from the beginning. They're friends for as long as she can remember, she knows everything about him, and that includes the way he feels.

„You smell Oreos?" – Nik asked to check did he hear right.

Stefan Salvatore doesn't share Oreos. He can smell them in 20 kilometar radius. He knows on which shelf they're on in every store in Mystic Falls. When he's near them, his senses start tingling. He doesn't like talking about Oreos with others because if they say they like Oreos too, he gets jealous. Oreos are his.

„Salvatore, we have a problem" – Rebekah threw her hand around his shoulder and pulled him in for a hug.

**xxxx**

**I hope you are not bored with Stefan and Elena not being aware of their feelings towards each other, because I like them slowly figuring them out, and I guess the first step is their friends noticing those feelings, because we all know our best friends are the first ones to notice the change in our behavior when we're crushing on someone. Also, I don't want to make a cheater out of Stefan, nor do I want to pull Elena into that, because I do not believe in cheating, even if he does not love Katherine anymore like he used to, so in order for something to happen between Stefan and Elena, his relationship with Katherine has to untangle itself.**

**Also, if you have any questions, or you simply want to talk, my Twitter is bangelcookies and my Tumblr is .com, so feel free to contact me if you want to :) And once again, thank you for your reviews.**

**Lots of love!**


	6. Chapter 6

Everything can change in a moment.

Death, birth, falling in love and falling out of love, catching happiness with the palm of your hand, making a friend and losing a friend, it happens in the blink of an eye. Some of those things happen so fast that we fail to notice them, because they're not humanly possible to notice. That is life, preventing us from acting. We often think if we payed more attention, or if we noticed when things started to change, we wouldn't feel like this at the moment. Doesn't matter if we're talking about grief and loss, or happiness and love, we're either sad or happy we didn't do something differently, because if we did, we wouldn't be standing where we are standing now. We blame ourselves and we blame people around us, but after some time we come to realize that some things are out of our control. Because life has a plan for all of us.

Things can change in one night.

They can change for better or for worse. They can make your world crush into pieces and they can open you up for new experiences. Sometimes you get a chance to feel both at one night, loss and gain, if you are fortunate.

Things mostly change during those quiet nights. Because life is a floating river, a day without bumping into a rock and causing waves is not a day well spent.

Elena loved those quiet nights. When she was home alone. When Jenna would go on a date and Jeremy would go to hang out with his friends. She would turn all the lights off, dress into something comfortable, open a new box of chocolate chip ice cream and pop in a movie. Loneliness was something that scared Elena more than anything in the world, but from time to time, she enjoyed being alone. She enjoyed the silence and walking around the house in her underwear. From time to time, she did enjoy being a typical teenage girl, when she wasn't dreaming about being in a fairytale. She loved those quiet nights.

Unfortunately, this is not going to be one of those nights.

Elena was sitting on the living room sofa, with her knees bent up her upper body. She wrapped her arms around them and rocked back and forth while trying to pick the spoon from the ice cream box and bring it to her mouth. She was watching some horror movie she already found in the DVD player.

„Don't go in there, don't go in there" – she was whispering while watching a girl in the movie enter a hunted house. Who even goes to a hunted house in heels? She can barely walk in heels in the straight ground, so she couldn't imagine herself running in those from a killer in a hunted house that probably has thousand of holes in the floor. And why do they never take those heels off? Do they not understand they will run faster that way? And look at what she's wearing. Can you even spread your legs in a dress that tight? Forget about running from a killer, why would anyone buy a dress that tight at all? Your probably feel like a mummy wrapped in it. Elena never understood girls who dressed like that. „You suffer for beauty", is what Caroline used to say. But why? There are so many comfortable things that make you look beautiful. Plus, most of those stuff you suffer for don't even make you look beautiful, they make you look cheap. Beauty should know it's limits, that's the charm of it. You should show enough, but not too much. Many girls don't even leave anything to imagination. Caroline once bought a dress like that, but Elena had cut those dressing habits in a bud. For Caroline's own good. She was grateful to her when she saw Daisy Owens, Rory's younger sister, wearing the same dress she bought. You couldn't tell her apart from a prostitute, especially with the make up she was wearing.

Elena jumped a little in her seat when unfamiliar hands grabbed the girl and pulled her into the darkness. She did not know why she even watched those horror movies, since they never did her any good. She was one big scary cat. When the blood splashed all over her screen and when she saw girls detached head rolling around the floor, she released a loud scream, instantly threw the ice cream box on the table and covered her eyes.

„If you listened to me, you would still have a head on your neck" – Elena said like a girl can hear her, or like any of that is real, but without removing hands from her eyes.

In the moment when she was ready to remove the hands from her eyes, she heard a doorbell ring. She frowned because someone was ruining her quiet night, and she doesn't have a chance to have many quiet nights. Once in a month, if she's lucky. She was interested in who it is, but part of her was scared to open the doors due to the movie she was watching. Doorbell rang for a second time. She got up from the sofa and headed to open the doors.

Behind the doors there was a man standing. Or a boy. Or something in between. He was tall as a man and she was sure he had some of the traits of a grown men, but the feautures of his face were still child like, and sometimes he acted like one. She could see traces of fingers being pulled through her hair, and his eyes were teary. She could see traces of tears on his skin, leading from his eyes, across his cheeks, to the end of his chin. One of his hands was on the frame of her front doors, and the other one was loosely hanging next to his body. He was wearing his sportswear, kind of she had only seen him wearing at football practice. She could see Timberwolves written over his chest.

„Stefan" – she said his name through a whisper. She could not hide the shock on her face, but she could also not ignore the lingering feeling of happiness from seeing him in front of her. In any other situation she would be embarassed for being seen dressed wearing pink shorts that were thightly wrapping around her thighs, and ordinary black shirt with thin straps on her shoulders, but at the moment she cared more about him than what she was wearing. She only thanked God she had her bra on.

„I'm.. I'm sorry for showing up here so late, but I didn't know where else to go. Rebekah is on some gala thing with her mother and I.. I had nowhere else to go" – he said with a husky voice while trying to avoid her look. But he did not try to hide the tears that began to stream from his eyes again, slowly falling over his red cheeks.

She did not say anything. She did not know what to say. She opened the doors wide open and let him in. When he entered the house, he stood there like a zombie, his look fixated on one spot on the wall. She felt the wave of courage wash over her, probably because of his weak state, and grabbed his hand with hers. No, not the whole hand, only the tips of his fingers, and lead him to the sofa. He sat down and she sat on the little coffee table across him. She had put her hands on his knees, which made him look at her.

„What happened?" – she asked with a sweet voice, with a voice mother often directs to her child, because by now she was really worried for him.

He swallowed. „I came home earlier today. We were supposed to have practice, but it was cancelled. I was not even supposed to come home that early" – his voice was becoming more silent after every spoken word, so she squeezed his knees to give him support. He appreciated that although he couldn't tell her, he couldn't even hint it to her with a smile. He had no power in his body to do so. She could feel a tear from his face falling on her hand. She looked down to see the skin of her hand soak the tear in. „My parents are out of town, and I was hungry, so I thought about ordering pizza. I thought I would ask my brother does he want some, so I went upstairs, and from the hallway, I heard laughter coming out of his room" – he furrowed his brows, bringing them closer together, closing the space between them – „And the laugh wasn't his. It was familiar, but I couldn't connect the laugh to it's owner. So I opened the doors of his room, and that's when I saw them" – he lowered his head to detach his look from Elena's.

„Saw who?" – she asked, and she had to admit that she was curious. In no way she enjoyed his pain, but she wanted to know who's responsible for the tears on his face.

„My brother and Katherine, in bed together" – he raised his look only to catch the shocked expression on her face – „They were under the sheets, and she was resting her head on his chest, and he was pulling his fingers through her hair, and they were laughing" – the look on his face became too painful too watch while he was remembering every detail of the sight his brother and his girlfriend prepared for him – „I wasn't even supposed to be home" – he said with a crying voice while looking her in the eyes that no more held shock, but pity and anger, mostly for Katherine for being so stupid, for having him and letting him go. Not letting him go, but losing him, and in the process hurting him because the person he cheated him on with was not some random guy from the school, it was his flesh and blood, his brother. That act had probably hurt like being stabbed with the double-edged sword. „I turned around and started running down the hallway, and I could hear her crying voice calling after me, and I could hear the regretful voice of my brother" – he said that not being sure does Damon regret sleeping with Katherine, or does he regret Stefan had caught them in the act – „But I didn't turn around. I just sat in my car and started driving, and I ended up here" – which was the truth. When he remembered Rebekah is not home, he thought he would just drive around the town to clear his head, but somehow he ended up in front of Elena's house, like the path to her was carved into his memory and he found her without even knowing he's looking for her. It was easy, like breathing. He knew he needed her like he knows he needs air.

His head fell on her lap, and she could feel his tears soaking the bare skin of her legs. She had put her hands on his head, not even thinking about the awkwardness of the situation, or about how he was resting his head in her lap, but thinking about how to help him. And she could not think about one single way.

„I'm so sorry" – she said silently while pulling her fingers through his hair.

„My own brother" – he said painfully, like someone is scratching his throat with a blade.

She lowered her head and kissed the top of his. She did it without thinking, spontaneously, like it's something she did million of times before. By the time she realized what she did, she bit her lower lip. The silent sobs from her lap stopped, and she could feel him raising his head. He cleaned his face of tears with the palms of both of his hands and looked her in the eyes. But his look didn't rest there for long, it fell on her lips. On her perfectly shaped lips. They were perfect size and perfect color, and sometimes, he could hear them begging him to kiss them. She kept looking him in the eyes, trying to catch his look, but he wouldn't detach it from her lips. He wanted to kiss her so badly. He wanted to kiss her for a long time now. He wanted to know how she tastes like, and he wanted to know is she the person who's lips perfectly fall on his, filling in every curve while moving synchronously with his. His head started lowering towards hers without him even noticing it. Her look fell on his lips that were getting closer to hers, and she wanted to kiss him too. She wanted to kiss him so badly. She wanted to throw her hands around his neck and scratch the back of it, where his hair ends, while they're kissing. She wanted to feel his hands around her waist, she wanted his skin to colide with hers again. She wanted the tip of his fingers to make her skin burn again.

But before his lips even scraped hers, she pulled back and left his lips lingering in the air.

„I'm not going to be your rebound girl, Stefan" – she said decisively. Because that's all she could ever be to him. And she did not want that. She did not want to get sucked into the twister of emotion, and she couldn't let herself feel what it's like to feel his lips on hers, because that would make her fall for him more than she already did. Because by now, she only fell for him in theory, but if she had let him kiss her, it would be real. And reality scared her.

He looked at her with a surprised look on his face before lowering his head down. A light laugh escaped his throat. „Yeah, because that's the only possible reason why would I want to kiss you" – he raised his head to meet her surprised look – „Because in the end of the day, I'm Stefan Salvatore, stupid jock, womanizer, guy who has it all figured out and who would take advantage of this situation to get in your pants, right Elena?" – he stood up and started walking towards the front door.

„Stefan!" – she called after him, be he wouldn't stop walking – „Stefan I didn't mean it like that" – she stood up from the coffee table where she was sitting and made one step closer to him.

„It's fine, Elena, just leave it" – he said before slamming the front door of her house.

The next thing she could hear is the engine starting and the tires scraping the road. She sat back on the table and buried her head in her hands. She could feel tears grouping in her eyes, and she wanted to slap herself for that. For being so emotional. She didn't know what to do, so she picked up the phone from the table and dialed Caroline's number. She would usually talk to Bonnie about this kind of stuff, but she had a feeling Bonnie would not understand. And for some reason, she believed Caroline would.

**xxxx**

The thing is, even if you see a change coming your way, you can't stop it from happening. By trying, something else will change, and you may lose something more precious. Sometimes changes don't happen suddenly. Sometimes you live them, taking in every moment of it, noticing how that change caused other small changes, and how it changed you. But even if you do live through a change, you're never ready for what is coming after the change is done. Because it takes you a while to get used to the change, and to decide if it's good or bad. Sometimes a good change can turn out bad, and sometimes a bad one can turn out good. I guess that's the biggest problem with the change that happens slowly, it happens so slow that sometimes you change your mind about where you stand. Because a sudden change leaves you breathless, but a slow change, by the time it's done, leaves you with a new set of lungs.

Things between Stefan and Katherine were bad for a long time. Maybe bad is a wrong word, because they weren't bad, they weren't anything really. Their relationship stopped existing. Sometimes he would think he can pin point an actual moment when things started going downhill, but his love for her interfered with that. Love is a funny thing, you see. Especially in the young age. It leaves you confused because you have no idea what you're supposed to feel, and you spend a lot of time asking yourself is this really love, because you have no idea how life is supposed to feel. But after some time you figure it out, because every love is different. It doesn't have a feeling, really. It's like a summer breeze. You can explain it with thousand of adjectives, but no one but you will ever be able to capture how that summer breeze felt nice on your skin in that exact same moment. Even if that person enjoyed summer breeze themselves, they will never know how it felt for you. But love is better than summer breeze, because you feel it during the whole year. And that's nice, because when you're in love, you have a feeling summer lasts forever.

While he was driving all he could think about is her laugh. And he felt silly he hadn't recognized the laugh of his own girlfriend. Maybe that's because he hasn't seen her happy for such a long time. Because the laugh he heard from that room is the laugh he fell in love with. She was laughing as a person she used to be. And after some time, she stopped being happy. With him, at least. Maybe it was his fault. Maybe she's not the one who changed, maybe he changed. Because at one point, he stopped making her happy. At one point, she stopped laughing. He wishes he could remember that exact moment when what they had broke. Maybe he can't fix things, but he would like to find why. Why did she stop laughing?

Maybe he simply wasn't good enough. Not only for Elena, but for anyone. „I don't think you're cut out for this job, son", he could hear his father saying. Maybe he's not cut out for anything. Love. Life. Maybe he's broken to the point of no repair.

Life without Katherine scared him. They were distant for so long, and in a way, he had lost her long time ago, but actually being without her scared him. It's like having a favorite sweater that you have to throw away because you outgrew it. That's such an ugly thing to say, because she's not his property. But she has a part of him, and he's afraid he's never going to get that part back. That he will forever feel incomplete.

He wishes people would stop outgrowing him. His brother. Katherine. Rebekah and Nik will outgrow him some time during their lives, most likely. And what happens then? When will he outgrow someone?

As much as he's scared of being without Katherine, he could never forgive her. Before he found out, he hoped there's a chance from them to patch things up. But now, there is no turning back. This hole is too big, there's not enough material in the world to fill it.

He opened the front door and threw his keys in a bowl on the dresser. He sighed and scratched the back of his neck. He really screwed up with Elena. He could see why she would think he's only using her. Bad timing.

He could really use a cold shower. Hot started going upstairs. The house was silent. He entered his room and gasped when he saw Katherine sitting on his bed. He hadn't seen her like that in a while. Her shirt was wrinkly and she was wearing sweatpants. Her hair was all over the place and she had no make up on her face. She kinda looked like the girl he fell in love with, the girl he hoped is underneath.

„Please give me a chance to explain" – she said silently, like she knows she doesn't deserve that.

He laughed, painfully. It actually hurt around his heart as he released a laugh out of his throat. „Explain what? You're having sex with my brother, it was pretty obvious, since you were in bed, naked" – Stefan threw his hands in the air, trying to stop himself from crying.

She didn't know what to say, so she lowered her head. It's been a long time since he had seen her so vulnerable. Without her shield. And he had no intention to take advantage of that. He wasn't in the mood, nor he was that kind of a person. She made a mistake. A big, fucked up mistake, but she's a human.

„Was Damon the only one?" – he asked although a part of him didn't even want to know the answer.

She raised her head, but did not alow herself to look at him in disbelief. „Yes" – she said with a clear, steady tone of voice.

He did not believe her. Not really. But did it really matter? Even if it was only Damon, that still doesn't change things. It would be easier to forgive her dozen of guys from school over his brother.

„And now you can tell me if you cheated on me with Elena" – she said with a shaky voice because she dared to make that statement.

„I would never cheat on you Katherine. I would never do that to you. Or to myself. I have too much respect for both of us" – he said through his teeth, a little bit angry she would even suggest that at this time.

„But you feel something for her?" – Katherine furrowed her brows.

Stefan sighed and sat on the bed next to her. He was too hurt and too tired to be spiteful. He crossed his arms on his chest and looked at the floor. „Things have been bad between us for a long time. Well, not bad, but they weren't like they used to be. I could feel you slipping away from me, but I didn't know how to stop it. I tried, but every time I came closer to you, I felt like you're slipping away more. And Elena.." – a smile appeared on his face as he said her name, a smile he didn't try to hide this time – „I met her by chance of fate. And she would never fall for me, she's not the type of the girl who would. Probably the only in the school, which made her more attractive. She's.. she's special" – he turned his head around to look at Katherine.

She bit her lower lip so she would stop the tears from streaming down her face. He used to talk about her like that. Once upon a time, she was special to him too. And then she blew it away. And she doesn't even know why.

„I thought you two might hit it of. I don't know if you know, but me and Elena were - "

„Best friends" – Stefan finished her sentence for her. Katherine nodded.

„Stefan?"

„Yeah?"

„What now?"

„Now.. we say goodbye."

**xxxx**

So what can you do when things change? You can try and make things go back to how they used to be, but that rarely works. You can tie a broken rope, but knot will stay. Once things change, they can never go back to how they used to be. Because when a change happens, it not only changes the situation, it changes you too. And it changes people around you. And one part of your life is over. But that only means that something new is about to start. And the worst thing you can do is to be afraid of what is coming because of the fear one day it will be taken away from you.

So the best thing to do is to accept the change, good or bad. And to hope one day everything will fall in place. Because that's all you can do, really. Be strong. Be hopeful. Be you.

When Caroline arrived, she found Elena sitting on the small coffee table, from the place she called her from, with her face buried in her hands, crying. She called her name a few times, but Elena did not react. So Caroline turned off the television, put what left of the ice cream in the freezer and made Elena a cup of coffee. Caroline made better coffee than Jenna. Much better. She sat next to her friend. Elena raised her head and took the cup from Caroline's hands.

„Stefan was here" – Elena said as she took her first sip.

Caroline would usually jump up and down when Stefan was mentioned, she worshiped the guy. But she saw in what kind of a state Elena is in, so she controlled herself.

„Please don't think I'm a bad person" – Elena cried before Caroline even had a chance to say anything.

„Why would I think you're a bad person?" – Caroline furrowed her brows, confused.

Elena clenched her hands around a hot cup. „Because I was always saying things that were not in his favor. And now he's.. he's here. In my life. And I don't mind" – she looked at Caroline with a desperate expression on her face. „He told me Katherine cheated on him. And he tried to kiss me. But I stopped him. Told him I don't want to be his rebound girl."

„You did a good thing" – Caroline raised her supportive voice while rubbing her friends back.

„I'm afraid, Caroline" – another tear escaped her eye and rolled down her cheek.

„Afraid of what?" – Caroline asked confused.

„Of falling for him. Of wanting him. When I know he would never be with me" – she had a painfull look in her eyes, it bordered with tired and powerless. Like she's not in control of her emotions.

„And why would you say that?" – the corners of Caroline's lips curved into a smile.

„Because he's Stefan Salvatore. Everyone knows him. He's somebody. And I'm Elena Gilbert. I'm nobody" – she shrugged.

Caroline frowned. She took a cup from Elena's hands and placed it on a table. „Don't you ever say that. You're not nobody. And how do you know that's how Stefan feels? You got to know him. So tell me, do you really think that matters to him? Is that a guy you would fall for?" – Caroline tried to help her friends see things her way. Which was the right way.

„But I'm more afraid of being with him" – Elena buried her face in the palm of her hands – „I know Stefan is not like that. That's the excuses I keep making so I wouldn't have to deal with the possibility of being with him. Because I'm afraid of what I feel for him. I'm afraid of how little time it took me to actually feel something for him. And he understands me. I don't even have to say a word, and I know he understands me. And I know he knows I understand him, because he tells me everything about his life. Things he hasn't told anyone. He trusts me. And these feelings.. if they're like this now, how I'll feel when I actually fall in love with him? And I'm afraid of those feelings" – Elena raised her head to look at her friend – „Stefan is not perfect. He's not a Prince Charming. But he's the only guy I don't mind for not being Prince Charming because I have a feeling what we could have could be better than a fairytale" – she cleared her face from tears with the palm of her hand.

Caroline gasped. „Then you have to let yourself be happy. Give yourself a chance. Give him a chance" – Caroline stood up as she raised her voice in excitement.

„But what if - "

„There's no what if" – Caroline yelled at her – „You can't think about what if. All you can think about is now, and about what you want now. And you have to grab it before someone else takes it before you. And honey, when people hear Stefan Salvatore is single, everyone will want to mingle!"

Elena laughed at her friend. Caroline had a special talent – she could always cheer her up. Even when she didn't want cheering up.

So big moments? They will come. And even if you see them coming, you're not going to be prepared for them. They're going to surprise you, one way or another. If it were any different, they wouldn't be called big moments. So all you have to do is to greet them with opened hands, because if you treat life well, life will treat you well too.

**xxxx**

**I've noticed there was something wrong when I gave you my Tumblr the last time, so here it is - buffysalvatore**

**So, Stefan and Katherine broke up. And not in a pretty way. What do you think, is there something more going on between Damon and Katherine than casual sex? What will Damon have to say to his brother? How will Stefan apologize to Elena? And will Elena fall in Stefan's arms now that he's single?**


	7. Chapter 7

Stefan was going through kitchen cabinets in search for an box of Oreos he knew he hid somewhere, but couldn't quite remember where. His cheeks were starting to turn slightly red, and he was living in the fear someone ate his last box of Oreos. And by someone, he meant Rebekah. He had left her alone the other day for only few minutes to take a shower before they go out for drinks, and if anyone is responsible for their disappearance, it was her. He hadn't seen Rebekah for a while, since her mother was keeping her busy for some reason. It's been only few days since he cought Damon and Katherine in bed, and he hadn't seen anyone really. Rebekah wasn't in school, and Nik handled the situation like any guy would. He didn't say anything. He hadn't seen Damon either. He heard him few times in the hallway, but he would lock the doors of his room so Damon wouldn't bother him. He wasn't ready to face him. He saw Elena around the school, but he was the one who couldn't face her. He would walk away in another direction or hide until she goes away. He saw her look flying over to his locker few times while he was hiding from her, and he wondered is she angry, and if not, how does she feel. He hadn't seen Katherine either. She was probably the one who was avoiding him. But by now, the whole school knew they have broken up. And they knew the reason why. That only made the girls want him more. He was like a wounded puppy to them now.

Found it. Last box of Oreos, he licked his lips. He doesn't have to yell at Rebekah like the last time. They were watching a movie, and for some reason, she thought it would be funny if she ate his last Oreo. Why would anyone find that funny? What kind of a person eats their friends last Oreo? Last ones are usually the sweetest. Rebekah said she thought the big, blue vein on his forehead will explode while he was yelling at her, which only made her laugh more. He doesn't even have any big veins, especially not on his forehead. He opened the box and took out one Oreo, carefully halving it in the middle, and placing on his tongue. Sweet mother of everything that is holy. He chewed the cookie with his eyes closed, feeling like he bit a piece of fluffy cloud sprinkled with fairy dust. Oreos were the most delicious thing in the world, he was sure of it. The only thing that probably tastes better than them is –

God damn Stefan, stop thinking about Elena.

„Stefan" – he heard someone calling his name. He opened his eyes and saw Damon standing in front of him. His coal, black hair was greasier than usual and there was no smirk on his face. His smirk was like his personal signature, and now Stefan couldn't even see traces of it. His baby blue eyes looked tired, like saddness washed over them, like he hasn't slept for days. „Can I talk to you for a second?" – he asked, afraid of what Stefan's response might be.

„Would you like an Oreo?" – Stefan stretched out the box in his hand closer to his brother – „Since you love taking what's mine" – he smiled spitefully to his brother.

Damon released a light laugh and lowered his head down. „I'm serious" – he said while keeping his look fixated on the floor.

Stefan laughed before taking another bite of the cookie, feeling delicious, white filling settling down on his teeth, giving him a tingly, pleasurable feeling under his tongue.

„What could you possibly say to me to fix this?" – Stefan asked curiously.

Damon raised his head and Stefan could see a tear in the corner of his eye, tear he was trying to prevent from rolling down his cheek.

„I love her, Stefan" – Damon said with a husky voice, with fear written all over his face.

Stefan stared at his brother, not being able to form words. He locked his eyes on Damon's, not even trying to hide shock and confusion that was showering his face.

„What?" – he asked silently, swalloving hard.

„Few months ago, she came over, looking for you. I told her you're at the practice, but that you should be home any minute now, so she can wait for you. And we started talking. And she told me how lonely she is. How she knows you don't love her anymore, and how being in a relationship with her became an obligation for you. She told me that she feels like she did something wrong and - "

„Stop!" – Stefan yelled at him with tears in his eyes. His heart dropped. He didn't know Katherine ever felt like this. He was so busy blaming her for the growing distance between them, that he failed to notice she's hurting too. How could have he been so selfish, so blind? One part of him felt silly because he was feeling sorry for her, since it was her who cheated on him, and the other part of him couldn't help himself but feel guilty for driving her away.

„And she listened to me" – Damon continued despite his brothers warning – „And she told me I have to stand up to father. That is why I accepted his offer to work for him. Because the bast way to beat your enemies is to become their friend" – that sounded like something Katherine would say – „Next week, she came again, same time, only now, she was looking for me. And we didn't know how to tell you, how to tell you that we - "

„Shut up, shut up!" – Stefan started yelling like a little child. He was horrified of his behavior, but he refused to listen to his brother. He was so close to plugging his ears with his fingers.

„Fell in love" – Damon finished his sentence. Stefan rushed over to his brother and grabbed the collar of his shirt with one hand, while forming the fingers of the other hand in a fist, raising it to his brothers face, threatening him that he will punch him. But Damon did not even twitch.

„Everything I did, I did for her. I had put up with our father only because she believed in me. Because she told me I can achieve something. I betrayed you, my own brother, for her. Because I love her" – one tear finally rolled down Damon's cheek.

Stefan had let go of him, cleaning his face with the palm of his hand. „How could you do that to me? You're my brother" – he looked at him with disgust.

„But you're not even in love with her anymore. And when the other day you told me about that other girl, I was so relieved, because I thought what we did won't hurt you as much" – Damon threw his hands in the air out of despair.

„It's because you don't know me Damon" – Stefan raised his voice at him – „Because you stopped being my brother long time ago. Me and Katherine didn't work out, we are not cut out for each other, but that doesn't mean I don't love her or respect her. One day I woke up and you decided I'm not good enough for you, you started calling me names and pushing me away. I needed you! Where were you? You were my rolemodel, I looked up to you! We were a team, and then you started sucking up to father, and I felt so alone! So rejected! You're fake Damon, you're so fucking fake!" – Stefan raised the tone of his voice to the volume he never raised it before while trying to stop new set tears falling out of his eyes.

The colors of Damon's face started to change, and so did his emotions.

Stefan mentally slapped himself. How could have he missed it? How could he have missed his girlfriend and his brother falling in love right in front of his eyes? Was he so absorbed in himself? Was he so busy with blaming Katherine about what was happening to their relationship that he forgot two people make a relationship? He didn't understand anything, nor did he have answers to his numerous questions. But he knew he can't be there anymore. Not with Damon staring at him, wanting to say something but not knowing what. So he shook his head and grabbed the keys of his car from the bowl where he had left them. He passed his brother on the way out, but Damon did not stop him. And in that moment Stefan didn't know which one of them was feeling more lost.

**xxxx**

„But Caroline, you promised!" – Elena was yelling in her phone while standing in front of the mall by herself. Whatever Caroline said made Elena frown. She hanged up on her in fury and growled at her phone before throwing it inside of her bag. She buried her face in her hands.

„I guess your phone is evil?" – she heard a familiar voice, a voice which made her heart jump. She removed the hands from her face and saw Stefan sitting in his red Porsche, smiling at her. The smile on his face could bring a smile to anyone's face, so she wasn't surprised when the corners of her lips started curving into a smile. His eyes looked tired although he was trying to hide that fact behind his smile. There were black Ray Bans on the top of his head, messing up his hair, only making him look more attractive.

„No, my friend is" – she cocked her eyebrow at him – „Actually, your friend is. Me and Caroline were supposed to go shopping, but Nik took her away from me" – she pouted. He had to laugh at how adorable she looked while pouting.

„Ah, young love" – he smiled at her, although she could see the lines of his face that were holding his smile started cracking a little, reflecting his inside pain. „Need a shopping buddy?"

„Stefan, you don't have to – „

„I know I don't have to" – he interrupted her in the middle of the sentence. „I want to. Plus, it would be a good way to apologize for my behavior from few days ago."

"There is nothing to apologize for."

She smiled at him and nodded. She was waiting for him in front of the entrance of the mall while he was parking his car.

„So, what brings you here?" – she asked curiously while bumping into his shoulder with hers, although she had to step on the tip of her toes to do it.

„My brother" – for a moment there, she had a feeling like he cried those words out. He turned his head around to face her, only to find a shocked expression on her face. He lowered his head. „Apparently, he's in love with Katherine" – he laughed, still not being able to comprehend that – „But I don't want to talk about that now. What are you shopping for?"

Elena respected his decision. Although she was curious about it and wanted to know every single detail, she understood why he wouldn't want to talk about it. „A dress" – she smiled widely at him.

He looked at her wide smile, and somehow every thought he had disappeared. Every worry, every problem. There were no Katherine or Damon, there were no more feelings of rejection or betrayal, or his own battle with selfisness, there was only her and her smile. It was amazing how she could always make him feel better, even when he was feeling like crap, and when he thought there's not a single thing in this world that could cheer him up, there she was.

„And what's the occasion?" – he smiled back, imagening her in one of those fluttery dresses she usually wears, ones that show of her perfect waist, but hide her long legs, leaving everything up to the imagination.

„Spring party at the Grill next week, of course. You're coming, right?" – she gave him another one of those big smiles, followed by the glassy look in her eyes.

Actually, he wasn't planning on going. With everything that was going on, he wasn't in a party mood. Plus, he wouldn't want to bump into Katherine, especially not in a place where both of them would be drinking. But wait, does she want him to go? He couldn't tell is she asking because she's nice, or because she wants him there.

„Yes" – the word slipped his lips even before he could make a decision.

„Good" – she said.

So, she does want him there? If so, then he'll definitely be there.

They went into one of the stores, and Stefan stood by Elena while she was picking out dresses. He never went shopping with Katherine, but he did went shopping with Rebekah. But she shopped in different stores. Very different stores. Rebekah was daring, Elena was innocent. But he was fascinated with how their mind works. When guys go shopping, they know what they need, they find what they need, they buy what they need. Ten minutes time, tops. But girls either know what they want, but can't find it, or they don't know what they want, but know they want something, something they can't explain. There is always something wrong with some piece of clothing, it's either the color, or the pattern, or the size, or anything really. They make one big circle around the store and in the end go back to the first thing they've seen. Elena was no different. She seemed to have the same shopping fever other girls suffered from too. She frowned at every dress she picked out, talking about what's wrong with it, and Stefan had a feeling she's speaking some foreign language. That was probably the reson why girls went shopping together, because they understand each others blabbing. Every time she would pick out another dress, she would list pro and cons to why should she buy that dress, and in the end it would end up in Stefan's hands. By the time they got to the end of the store, he had a pile of dresses in his hands. He had a feeling he's trapped in some kind of a hell, where naive, good guys who agree to be shopping buddies for girls go. And hell was made out of pink silk and cotton.

„Can I help you?" – he saw a lady in black knee length skirt and blue chemise on which she had attached a tag with Amanda written on it. She glanced at Stefan and chuckled before politely turning her look back at Elena.

„No, thank you, I have some dresses picked out" – she pointed to the pile of dresses in Stefan's hands.

„Well, maybe your boyfriend could help you pick one" – the woman smiled at Elena.

But Elena's body stiffened and her face expression became serious. She glanced at Stefan, but pulled her look away from his presence in a hurry. She could feel blush coming to her cheeks.

„Oh, he's - "

„I think she looks good in everything" – Stefan interrupted her before she could finish her sentence. She turned her head to look at him, only to catch him winking at her. He was sure that if she was his girlfriend, he would think she looks best without any clothes on. But he couldn't say that. Not to the woman, and especially not to Elena.

„I'll just try these out" – she tooked the pile of dresses from Stefan's hand and rushed to the changing rooms.

The woman smiled back at Stefan as he scratched the back of his neck.

Elena ran into the changing room, first she saw available, and put the pile of dresses on the chair. She pulled her fingers through her hair, pulling it backwards, up her head. Sometimes she thought he knows how she feels, and now he's only provoking her. She sighed and pulled her jeans down her legs and took her top off. As she was about to take the dress from the top of the pile and try it on, she heard the doors of the changing room opening and someone's body pressing next to hers.

„Stefan, what are you doing?" – she raised her voice while putting her hands on his chest, pushing him away from here.

„Psssst" – he had put his finger on his lips to give her a sign to lower her voice down – „Katherine is here" – he whispered.

„And you couldn't think about any other place to hide in? Like the changing room that is empty?" – she lowered her voice, but she was still loud enough for people to hear her, especially if they were near by.

As she said that, he lowered his head and noticed she's wearing nothing but her bra and panties. Her pink, lacy bra that was showing of her perfectly shaped and tanned chest, and same pink, lacy panties with thin strings on her hips, making her tan line noticable. Her hair was wild and uncontrollable, it was falling over her shoulders, tangling with the straps of her bra. She looked.. exotic. With her pre summer tan and chestnut hair. He noticed her big, brown eyes wandering all over his body as much as his were wandering over hers.

She was so unbelievably beautiful. She was special kind of beautiful. It wasn't only about how hot she was. It wasn't about her long legs or thin waist, it wasn't about the perfect lines of her face or her full, red lips or big, beautiful eyes. It was about her soul, as cheesy as it sounds. Because she wore it on the palm of her hand, for everyone to see. How good she is, how kind she is, how smart she is. Everything about her was beautiful, even her little faults, like how she had no confidence in herself which was manifesting through the blush on her cheeks every time she would get a compliement, like she's pushing it away, like she doesn't deserve it.

He had a feeling like she owns every piece of him while she was standing in front of him, and the only thing he wanted to do is to make her his. He wanted to take her in his arms and pin her against the wall, kiss her neck, pull his fingers through her hair, while strongly holding her by her waist with the other hand, squeezing her hips.

She could feel his fingers lingering near her waist, and for a moment there she thought her skin is on fire. And she wondered would his touch only make her more hot, or would he put that fire out. The small distance between their bodies was filled with tension, tension that only made their bodies stiff. She wanted to kiss him, she wanted to feel his arms around her body, and his lips pressing next to hers.

But he probably doesn't even find her attractive, she though. And she would probably never let him touch her like that, he thought at the same time.

But neither of them said a word.

„Hmm" – he coughed – „I never took you for the kind of a girl who wears a thong" – he cocked his eyebrow at her and smirked.

„What?" – she asked confused, like she's waking out from a trans.

„I can see your ass in the mirror behind you" – he said through a whisper, still smirking at her.

Blush came all over her cheeks, and she was so close to pushing him out of the changing room. No, she wanted to squeeze his out through that little space between the floor and the doors. She had a shocked expression on her face, which made him grin.

„You have nothing to be ashamed of" – he scratched the back of his neck – „Your ass looks perfect" – he said through a grin, which only made her blush more.

„Get out, get out, get out" – she said three times, each time faster and louder, while putting her hands on his chest and pushing him through the doors. He was worried Katherine will see him, but she was nowhere to be found.

Stefan waited for Elena outside the store. She came out twenty minutes later with a shopping bag in her hand. She looked a little bit angry, so he decided to say something before she ruins all the fun they were having. Well, all the fun he was having.

„I'm hungry" – he said as she approached him – „I could go for some Oreos" – he said with a dreamy look in his eyes.

The muscles of her face relaxed. „Oreos?" – she laughed at him.

„Yes. You know, those heavenly cookies made out of chocolate that was created by God himself and white filling made out of milk, sugar and tears of an angel" – he said with a serious look on his face.

Elena laughed out loud. Him and Caroline would get along well, she's addicted to sweets too. „Too be honest, I don't like Oreos - "

He had put his finger on her lips to stop her from talking. He shook his head in disapproval. „Now, now, don't say anything you will regret later" – he winked at her after removing his finger from her lips. He stretched out his hand at her – „Follow me?"

She furrowed her brows, but in the end, she had put her hand on his, and he pulled her after him as he started walking. They sat in his car and were driving for about five minutes before stopping in front of the small building. The building seemed new, with the walls being the color of peach, and with big green window across the whole wall with „Maria's cakes" written all over it with white, stylish letters. And there was a piece of cake on a plate painted below the name. There were few tables in front of the building, but they were empty.

Elena haven't even noticed that Stefan got out of the car. She left her shopping bag on the back seat, and in the moment when she had put her hand on the catch of the car's door, Stefan had opened her doors for her and once again, stretched out his hand to help her get out. There weren't many guys that would open car doors for you. Elena didn't know anyone who would open car doors for her, nor did she ever hear from other girls guys open doors for them. But it was clear by now that Stefan was different. He was special.

She had put her hand in his and he had pulled her up from the car. He lead her to the doors of the building, and when they came inside he was still holding her by her hand.

There was no one in there, the place was almost deserted. There was one guy sitting at the counter, drinking coffee, young woman by the table in the corner, reading newspapers, and an elderly woman behind the counter, cleaning plates. But the place was warm. Friendly. It had family environment. The furniture was old, nothing like the building looked from the outside. Elena concluded the outside must have been remodeled not so long ago, probably to attract more costumers. The place didn't have much light, it was dark, but it gave the place more personal nature. You had a feeling you're in your own living room. But the best thing about that place was the smell. The smell of coffee and cake mixed in one. And the coffee didn't smell like it smelled in those fancy, modern places like Starbucks. It smelled like you went to your own kitchen and made yourself coffee. And the cakes smelled like the ones her grandma used to make when she was little.

„Oh Stefan, I was wondering where you are" – the elderly woman behind the counter pulled a wide smile across her face when she saw Stefan.

Stefan smiled right back at her, tightly squeezing Elena's hand in his. She didn't mind, she relaxed her hand as much as she could.

„Sorry, I was busy today. Can you give me the usual?" – he smiled – „Two times, today" – he pointed to Elena with his look, and the woman smiled while nodding at him.

Stefan led her to the separe in the end of the room, and as soon as they sat down, the woman brought two plates of white cake with big cookie crumbs on the top of it, alongside two glasses of juice.

„Here you go" – the woman said as she had put their orders on the table. Elena raised her head and smiled at the woman, who seemed so warm and friendly. „Stefan, won't you introduce me to your lady friend?" – the woman side while looking at Stefan with piearcing look in her eyes.

Stefan smiled at her with the same warm smile she directed to him. „Maria, this is Elena" – he pointed his look to Elena.

The woman lowered her body down and gave Elena a big hug. Elena hugged her back.

„You must be very important to Stefan, since he never brings anyone here. Except that blonde girl who kept counting calories, what's her name again, Stefan?" – the woman had wistful expression on her face while she was trying to remember the girls name.

Stefan glanced at Elena as Maria said the first part of the sentence, only to catch her already staring at him. This time, he was the only who blushed.

„Rebekah" – he looked back at Maria – „And that was only because she had to fit in the dress for her mother's wedding. Usually, she eats more than me" – Stefan furrowed his brows as he remembered the times when Rebekah weighed every piece of food before she had put it in her mouth only to please her mother. Because to her mother, it was more important for Rebekah to look good in her wedding pictures, than for her to be pleased with herself. Thankfully, that was long time ago, and Rebekah started standing up to her mother. That happened approximately when Nick came to live with them.

„Oh yes!" – Maria shouted when she connected the girls face with a name – „Enjoy the cake!" – Maria looked down at Stefan and Elena, and cheerfully told them to enjoy their meal before skipping back to behind the counter. Stefan laughed as he watched her leave.

„Close your eyes" – he told Elena as he took the fork that was resting next to her plate. Elena hesitated for few seconds, but in the end, she closed her eyes. Stefan took a small part of the cake with the fork and brought it closer to her mouth – „Open your mouth" – he told her. So she did. He had put the cake in her mouth, watching her lips wrapping around the fork.

„Mmm" – she whispered as she swalloved the cake he had put in her mouth – „This is the best cake I've ever had" – she said before opening her eyes.

Stefan laughed out loud before taking a piece of cake himself. „Oreo cake. My favorite" – he smiled at her as he watched her take another piece of cake by herself. „My brother used to bring me here when I was little. When things got bad at home, or when the house became chilly, as he used to say, he would bring me here, because it was always warm and friendly here. Plus, we were sure our parents will never find us here" – Elena could see the pain in his eyes as he remembered how close he was to his brother when he was a child.

So she decided to be bold. Because she had a feeling she's the one who can take his pain away. Sometimes she had a feeling that's the reason he's telling her all of this. Because she would take his pain away, and they would share it, and he would feel better. So she stretched out her hand and put it on his. His hand twitched a little, but he didn't pull it away. He only looked at her with surprise. She smiled at him and squeezed his hand a little.

So they talked. For hours. They haven't even noticed how dark it got until Jenna called Elena to ask her is everything alright. Stefan dropped her of in front of her house.

„Thanks for the date" – he said as she got out of the car.

„Anytime" – she said through laughter.

Wait. What? A date? By the time she turned around he was already driving of in another direction.

Is that what this was? A date? Well, they ate, he payed, guess that's the definition of a date. Plus, they had a good time. He told her more about his family, and she told him more about hers. They talked about their future plans and dreams, and about everything they couldn't talk about with anyone else.

And she could still feel the print of his finger on her lips, and that lingering feeling stayed there for a long time, keeping her awake that night.


	8. Chapter 8

Stefan was standing in front of his closet with nothing but a towel around his waist and water from his hair, which he was too lazy to dry off with a towel, dripping all over his chest. He was scratching the back of his neck, where his hair was ending, and frowning at his opened closet. He had a feeling he's turning into a woman, a closet full of clothes and nothing to wear. But he wanted to look good, he knew he has to look good. Although he didn't know why. Maybe because she's going to be there. Maybe because they haven't seen each other since that day. Maybe because he wanted to impress her. Maybe because he wanted to be good enough for her. Although he didn't know how much his clothes will help him in that matter.

„Are you decent?" – he heard a woman's voice with pure British accent behind him. He turned his head around and saw Rebekah standing at his bedroom door with one hand over her eyes while holding a bottle of vodka in the other hand. She was wearing a pink dress that had flounces in the middle of it, right under her waist. It was perfectly wrapping around her body, showing off her curves. Rebekah was beautiful, Stefan had always thought so. And the best thing about her is that she never tried too much. She wore what she felt comfortable in, and her style changed from day to day. If she wanted to wear make up, she would wear it, but if she wasn't in the mood, she had no problems with walking outside of the house without it. She was true to herself, and she didn't care much about what other people think. Other than that, she was an amazing person, and sometimes the thought of not having her in his life would scare him. Because he couldn't imagine his life without her in it, and he couldn't imagine what kind of a person he would be if he didn't have her by his side. No one will ever be able to replace Rebekah to him.

„I don't remember my indecency stopping you before" – he said through laughter. She parted the fingers of her hand to look at him, before removing the hand from her eyes completely. She smirked at him and threw herself on his bed, her shiny, blonde hair flying in the air like she was a part of some shampoo commercial.

„What's that?" – he pointed at the bottle in her hand with his finger, pretending like he hadn't seen what it is.

„Something to relax us before the party" – she smirked at him, and he returned the same smirk to her. Sometimes Rebekah would come over with a bottle of alcohol she stole from her mother's cabinet, they would get wasted, turn on the music to the maximum, and jump up and down on his bed. Rebekah loved playing hide and seek while they were drunk, that was her favorite part. But Stefan's favorite part would be when they're sobering up, lying on his bed as the ceiling of his room is spinning, and talk about everything and nothing. Stefan called that 'the moment of truth', because both of them were sober enough to know what they're talking about, but drunk enough to say things they wouldn't be able to say without the influence of alcohol. Once he told her he had a dirty dream about her, and she admitted she often askes herself how he's in the sack. They kissed once when they were fourteen, and both of them agreed that kiss felt awkward, like when your aunt kisses you on the lips for your birthday. „Stef?" – she said his name silently.

„Yeah?" – he asked while digging through his wardrobe.

„I'm sorry I haven't been around much lately. Nik told me what happened with Katherine, and I'm sorry I haven't been there for you" – she said with a decent amount of guilt in her voice.

He turned around and with his look he had let her know everything is okay, that there are no hard feelings. He understood her mom can be a handfull sometimes. Another great thing about their friendship is that most of the time neither of them had to say anything, and the one would know exactly how the other one is feeling. Sometimes she would come over and lie on his bed in silence for hours before getting up and saying „It was awesome hanging out with you, Stef!" Sometimes silence was more precious, and could say much more than thousand of words could.

„He speaks!" – he said through laughter, commenting on Nik telling her about what happened between him and Katherine, since he hasn't said a word to Stefan about the topic. He simply tapped him on the shoulder, manly, of course.

Rebekah laughed. „You know how Nik is, he doesn't know what to say" – she rolled her eyes. Nik wasn't too good with words. His doings were speaking for him much more than words did.

„Yeah, yeah" – Stefan said as he dived in his closet again – „What's new with you?"

„I have good news and bad news" – Rebekah sighed.

Stefan sat on the chair by his writing desk and crossed his arms on his chest. The muscles of his bare torso tightened under his strong arms. „Bad news first" – he raised one of his eyebrows at Rebekah.

„Mom is divorcing the Poodle" – Rebekah sighed again. Poodle was Rebekah's mom.. well, both of them lost the count what number husband he is. And his real name wasn't the Poodle, but that's how Rebekah called him because he had a similar hair style to a poodle. She wasn't bothered to remember his real name, because she was sure he will be gone soon.

Stefan sent a sad look to Rebekah, expressing how sorry he is to hear that. Rebekah acted like she doesn't care about her mom's love life, but Stefan knew better than that. He knew it bothers her, all the men her mom brings home, all the men she marries, and all the men that go away. Couple of years ago, she really got attached to one of her mom's housbands, and when he went away, she was in despair. He was the closest thing she had to a father. She learned the hard way not to get attached to any of them ever again.

„And the good news?" – he asked.

„Nik had to give me 50 bucks" – she smiled – „He said this marriage will last for at least two months, but I said it won't last for longer than a month" – she grinned, proud of herself.

Stefan smiled at her, but he didn't feel sorry for her. He knew Rebekah can't do anything about her mom's marriages. He knew smile is her way of coping, turning everything into a joke is her way of staying sane.

„Now" – she cocked an eyebrow at him – „Is there something else you would like to tell me?" – a huge smirk appeared on her face.

Stefan started playing with his fingers nervously, praying she's not hinting about what he thought she is. „Like what?"

„Like something about you and certain tall, brown hair, brown eyed tutor girl?" – Rebekah laughed out loud when she noticed Stefan's fingers awkwardly intertwining around each other.

Stefan smiled as Elena's face flashed in front of his eyes, and Rebekah had noticed that. „Oh man, she's.. she's something special. She's different than any other girl in this freaking town. Hell, I think she's different than any other girl in the world. She has this look in her eyes, the look that can make you want to freeze in the moment, and stay like that up until her eyes are on you. A her smile.. her smile can make you smile, even when you don't have any reasons to smile. And she's absorbing every word you say, like a sponge" – he lowered his head – „And when her hand acidentally rubs against mine, I have a feeling my whole body is on fire, and the only thing that can turn that fire out is the same thing that started it – her touch" – after he smiled he could feel the pillow being thrown on the top of his head, messing his already messed up hair.

„Someone is in love!" – Rebekah yelled as Stefan picked up the pillow that fell on his lap and threw it back at Rebekah.

He shook his head. „I'm not in love with her" – he raised his head to look at Rebekah – „But I can see myself being in love with her" – he watched Rebekah's face adopting serious expression as she kept nodding at his words – „But someone like her.. I doubt someone like her could love someone like me" – he stretched a painful smile across his face as he lowered his head down at his intertwined fingers.

Rebekah rolled her eyes and jumped from the bed. „Stefan Salvatore has a complex of self worth, what a laugh" – she went over his hair with her fingertips, pulling it back in a hurry, so he couldn't grab her hand. He did give her 'no one touches the hero hair' look. She hopped over to his wardrobe and divied into it.

„Wear these, your arse looks good in them" – she threw dark blue jeans at him – „And this shirt, with collar down!" – she warned him as she threw white Lacoste polo shirt at him – „And this, because it brings out your eyes" – the last item she threw at him from the wardrobe was a green button up shirt.

She got out of the wardrobe and smiled at him while he was examining the clothes she threw his way. He got up from the chair and headed her way.

„Thanks Bex" – he kissed the top of her head before disappearing in the bathroom.

**xxxx**

When Stefan and Rebekah came to the Grill, it was already cramped with High School students, dancing to those songs which lyrics have no sense, but have an awesome rhythm, so everyone love them, especially when they're buzzed. By the time they came, more than half of the bottle of vodka was gone, so both of them were more than relaxed. From the look of things, Katherine wasn't there. This was probably the first party Katherine Pierce had missed.

Couple of minutes after they came, when the doors opened the next time, Elena walked in. His look was fixated on her, and if anyone was looking at him, they could clearly see he's staring at her. Her dress was wrapping around her body, just like Rebekah's wrapped around hers. It was black, with a small cleavage, and it was barely reaching her knees. This was the first time he had seen her in something like that, and now his imagination got a little more material to work with. He had noticed she's wearing platforms on her feet, and he only noticed that because to him, she seemed a little bit higher than usual. Her hair was tied up in a high pony tail, and the ends of her hair were scraping her bare back. She had smokey eyes, which surprised him because he had never seen her with any make up on, but he couldn't complain, because she looked more than beautiful. She looked delicious, especially with barely viseable lip gloss on her lips. She looked delicious, like a double filled Oreo dipped in white chocolate.

After few minutes of searching over the room, she had finally noticed him, standing in the middle of the Grill, with Rebekah on his arm, smiling at her. She smiled back at him and started walking towards him. Her look went all over his body. From his black untied boots, over his dark blue jeans that were perfectly falling down his legs, over the tight, white polo shirt that was showing off the muscles of his torso, and green, unbottoned shirt that was hiding the muscles of his arms, but brining out the color of his eyes. His hair was perfectly gelled up, and his eyes were glossy, which made her realize he had been drinking. But the smile on his face was as breathtaking as ever.

„Hey" – she greeted both him and Rebekah when she finally reached them.

Rebekah waved at her, casually smiling, with her eyes being as glossy as Stefan's.

And then Stefan did something he probably wouldn't have the courage to do if he wasn't under the influence of alcohol. He lowered his head and gave her a kiss on the cheek. His lips rested on her cheek longer than he intended, but she didn't seem to mind. Maybe because she froze at the moment she felt his lips pressing next to her skin. Tingly feeling went down her body, starting in her cheek and ending in the tip of her toes, making the hair on her hands stand straight up. She had no idea why did he have that effect on her. Why did his presence make her knees so weak, or why did his touch on her skin made her feel like the ground under her feet is gone. He detached his lips from her cheek, but he did not raise his head up, but rested his lips near her ear.

„You look lovely" – he whispered into her ear, borrowing the word lovely from Nik's vocabulary – „Although I have to admit, you looked better in the outfit you were wearing when I barged into your changing room" – he raised his head up only to see her blush, although no one but them knew what he said, or what had happened that day. She had a feeling blush from her cheeks had spread all over her body.

„Thank you" – she raised her voice up so he could hear her. The only thing louder than the music was Rebekah giggling behind Stefan. Elena thought it's from the alcohol she had, but Stefan knew the true reason behind her giggle, so he had bumped his knee into hers, giving her a warning to cool down.

„Hello lovelies" – Elena heard male's voice behind her back. She turned around and stood next to Stefan to face Nik, dressed into washed out jeans, green Converse shoes and the similar polo shirt Stefan was wearing, only in the color blue. „I believe all of you know my girlfriend, Caroline" – he pointed at Caroline with his look, who was giggling because she couldn't get used to the word girlfriend, especially not coming from his mouth, in that sweet, pure British accent.

Caroline's lips formed in the letter 'O' when she noticed what Elena is wearing. „Elena!" – she raised her voice, outshouting the music that was playing – „Your dress!"

Elena looked down her body and frowned. „Is there something wrong with it?" – she furrowed her brows, before raising her look back at Caroline.

Caroline laughed out loud. „No! You look perfect!" – she raised her hand to move a curl that was falling over her face, and it was only then that Elena realized their dresses are practically identical, only in different colors. Caroline looked over at Stefan who's look was flying all over Elena's body. „Something must have inspired you while shopping" – she winked at Elena.

Subtletly, Caroline knew nothing about it. There was no explanation for it in her dictionary.

„Can I get you something to drink?" – Stefan asked Elena when he noticed she's blushing some more. If she blushed any more, she's going to explode.

Elena looked up at him. „No, thank you" – she smiled – „I'm going to say hi to some people, but I'll be back" – she made a promise.

Rebekah nodded. „Okay, we'll be here drunk dancing" – she pulled Stefan by his hand on the dance floor, but he didn't detach his look from Elena's face, until Rebekah made him so with the sharp movement of her hand. Nik and Caroline followed them.

Elena smiled at them, and as she turned around to find more people she knows, so she can say hi to them, she bumped into strong male's figure.

„Matt" – she said silently while looking up at the person she bumped into.

Matt raised a beer bottle in the air before taking a sip. „Elena" – he cocked an eyebrow at her. She could feel the disgusting smell of beer coming out of his mouth. She hated beer. He looked over her shoulder and saw Stefan glancing at them. „So, Stefan Salvatore, eh?" – he looked down at her.

„Matt, don't.." – she begged, a little bit afraid of what he might say or do next.

He laughed, like they're having a casual conversation. „I'm only looking out for you" – he took another sip of the beer – „I mean, you don't want to be just another one of his conquests on the wall of boys locker room, do you?" – his hand went over the bare skin of her arm, evoking goosebumps all over her skin, and not the good kind. He looked over her shoulder again and saw Stefan staring at them, although he was trying to hide it with looking down at Rebekah every time Matt would look over at him. He moved his look over at her again. She kept her look locked on his eyes. „Or were you stupid enough to believe you would be something more to him than one night stand?" – he took her by her shoulders and made her turn away.

„Look at him" – he whispered into her ear. She watched him dance with Rebekah, twirl her around the dance floor, like he doesn't have a care in the world – „He's Stefan Salvatore. And who are you?" – he moved her pony tail on the other side of her head so he could clearly whisper into her ear. She felt his breath on her skin, and it made her jump, because it didn't feel as comfortable as Stefan's. It scared her.

„Elena Gilbert" – she said silently, but loud enough for him to hear her. She remembered Caroline's words, 'You're Elena Gilbert, and don't ever let anyone tell you you're nobody.'

She could feel him nodding, his head scraping next to hers. „Compared to him, you're nobody. Do you think you could ever fill in Katherine's shoes? You have never even been with a guy" – he laughed out loud, and his laughter sounded meaner in her mind than it actually did coming from his mouth – „He would get bored with you so soon, and you would only be left heartbroken."

Elena could feel tears coming to her eyes. She wasn't nobody. She was Elena Gilbert. She was a daughter, a sister, a friend, and so many more things. But maybe.. maybe she wasn't worthy of Stefan. Maybe all of this was a game he was playing. Maybe acting out emotions wasn't a problem to him. Maybe she got sucked in it. Maybe Matt was right. In that moment Stefan raised his look up at her and stopped dancing. The look in his eyes, he looked like he knows something bad is coming for him. Like he knows he's about to get stabbed in the stomach, and there's nothing he could do to stop it. Matt decided to break their eye contact. He stood in front of Elena and raised her chin with his thumb, making her look at him.

„And I love you. I've always loved you. So choose Elena. Choose between a guy who's going to throw out on the street like trash when he's done with you, and a guy who's going to love you with everything he has" – he looked into her teary eyes as he started lowering his lips down on hers. She didn't want this. She didn't want their lips to meet. But she couldn't will herself to stop him either. She was too afraid of meeting Stefan's look afterwards. And somewhere in between her thinking, his lips fell on hers. And she didn't feel anything. She didn't feel the spark, nor did she see the fireworks. She felt cold and disgusted with herself. When after few seconds he detached his lips from hers, she looked over his shoulder in a hurry. But Stefan was no longer there. Matt was right. If he wanted her he would have stayed. He would have fought for her. All that she could see is Rebekah staring at them with a disapproving look on her face. She shook her head and frowned at Elena before running to the front door. She moved her look over to Caroline who was looking at her in shock. She looked at Matt who was about to dive in for another kiss. But she couldn't. She couldn't handle the taste of beer in her mouth anymore, and she didn't want to feel disgusted with herself anymore.

„I can't.. I'm sorry, but I can't.." – she had put her hands on Matt's chest and pushed him away before running towards the front door.

She could hear Caroline calling her name, but she didn't stop. She couldn't. She thought if she kept running away, she would be able to run so far away to somewhere where this night never happened.

**xxxx**

**So.. I'm going to hide under some rock where you guys can't find me and kill me. But I guess this is what happens when people do not discuss their feelings, or when they're not aware of them. And they're teenagers, they lie, they watch too many movies.. Just trying to keep it real. I apologize for this chapter being a little bit shorter, but I wanted to leave some more drama for the next chapter, it seemed better than cramping everything into one :) I absolutely love writing Stefan and Rebekah's friendship, so I'm interested in what you think about them? And Nik and Caroline are officially a couple now! And what about Elena's actions? What about Matt's actions?**

**Again, thank you for your lovely reviews, I enjoy your guessing and suggestions, so I would like to thank you for reading my story.**

**Lots of love.**


	9. Chapter 9

When Caroline finally broke through the mass of drunk teenagers, she ran through the front door and her look searched for Elena. He finally caught her in the middle of a parking lot, standing in one place, motionless. It looked like her feet were buried in the ground she was standing on. Caroline started running towards her, calling her name, every time louder, but Elena did not move. When she finally reached her, she had noticed Elena's eyes moving from one side of parked cars to the other, while tears were streaming down her face.

„He's gone" – she cried out silently, not being able to find Stefan's car on the parking lot.

„Elena, let's go back inside" – Caroline tried to take Elena's hand in hers, but Elena pulled her hand back as soon as she felt Caroline's skin on hers. „We have to clean you up" – she smiled lightly, trying to grab Elena's hand once again, but that ended like the last time, with Elena pulling her hand back.

„I need to find Stefan, I need to explain myself to him" – Elena said through her teeth while watching her friend right in the eyes. Caroline trembled from her look.

„Elena.." – Caroline tried to calm her down, but there were more tears on her cheeks as each second passed by, smudging her make up all over her face.

„I want Stefan" – Elena said through tears, louder than the last two sentences she pronaunced. She wasn't sure will Caroline understand what she's talking about. She didn't only want to talk to him, to explain to him what just happened was a mistake which she never planned to make, nor will she make it ever again. She wanted him. She wanted to be with him. And she wasn't afraid anymore, she could admit to herself that she wants him, and she was ready for it to become a reality. The only thing scarier than being with him was not being with him.

Caroline's lips almost curved into a smile, but she stopped herself, because she knew this is no time for smiling. But she thought she knows what Elena meant by that. She's been suspecting it for a very long time, even before Elena called her that night. To an innocent observer, nothing would seem fishy, but Caroline had put her finger on it right away. All Elena had to do was curve her lips into a smile when he walked by past her, and Caroline would know. She had a sixth sense about those things, so she could not understand how could Bonnie be so blind to Elena's sympathy for Stefan. She grabbed Elena by the shoulder and slightly shook her.

„I don't think you're in a condition to talk to Stefan right now" – Caroline tried to reason with her. After few seconds, Caroline could feel Elena's body relaxing under her touch. She had let go off her so Elena could clean her face from tears with the palm of her hand. „Come on" – she grabbed Elena's hand with hers, but this time Elena did not protest – „I'm going to take you home, and you're going to tell me everything that happened" – she pulled Elena as she started walking towards her car.

When they came to Elena's place, Caroline made her a hot cup of coffee, and Elena told her everything. What she feels for Stefan, what she was afraid of, what Matt told her and how he ended up kissing her, and why did she let him. Caroline tried to keep the serious expression on her face the whole time Elena talked, but she looked a little bit shocked when Elena told her about what went down with Matt.

Few hours later, Elena fell asleep, and Caroline called Nik to apologize for bailing. He understood. He would do the same for Stefan.

**xxxx**

When they went back to school on Monday, Caroline did not let Elena out of her sight. The day after the party, Caroline called Bonnie to come over, and Elena had filled her in with what was going on. Caroline thought that's the right thing to do, since she was her best friend. Well, one of her best friends. Bonnie was understanding, and even she suspected something, but she had no idea things between her and Stefan went so far.

After History, three of them went to their lockers to leave their books, since they had a free period. Stefan was not in the school today, although both Nik and Rebekah were. Elena wondered where he was. She wanted to ask Rebekah, but from the moment she came into the classroom, she gave Elena the same disapproving look she did in the party when she saw her kissing Matt.

„Elena.." – she heard a familiar voice coming from behind her. All of them turned around to saw Matt standing there with an ashamed look on his face.

Caroline frowned and stepped in front of Elena, pushing Matt away from her. „You!" – she raised her voice at him, poking his chest with her index finger – „You don't get to talk to her" – she said bitterly.

Matt looked at her with a shocked expression on his face. He wasn't used to Caroline being like this. She was always so shy, and nice, and she would never threaten people. She would rarely stand up for herself, not alone for other people. Caroline was aware of what kind of a person she was. And she didn't like being that girl. Girl who doesn't have her own opinion or who's up to doing what other people find fit. But everything changed when she met Nik. He invited her for coffee few days before the Spring Formal. And they started talking, and with him, she was more. She was someone important. It wasn't about anyone but her, and him, and she had a feeling like she's finally living her life. So she opened herself up, and she became this cheerful person around everyone like she was around her closest friends and family. And Nik liked that person. Everyone liked that person. Most importantly, Caroline liked her the most of all.

„What's gotten into you?" – Caroline raised her voice some more. Few people turned their heads to see what's happening. Bonnie was giggling, and Elena blushed, as usual. „I know you Matt Donovan, and what you said to her" – she pointed at Elena with the finger of her other hand – „That's not you" – she finally removed her finger from his chest and crossed her arms on her chest. But she kept on frowning at him.

Matt looked over Caroline's shoulder only to see Elena blushing behind her. „I'm sorry, Elena" – Matt said with a husky voice. He was on the verge of tears, and you could have heard it in his voice. Elena raised her look from the floor and looked into his glossy eyes.

Matt had no idea why he did what he did. Guess he was sick and tired of loving her and getting nothing in return. It wasn't fair, how you love someone and they simply don't love you back, for some reason. It sucks, and it makes no sense. There's so little love in the world, so how come when he wants to give it, there's no one to recieve it. Or the person to whom he wants to give it to doesn't want it.

„I have no idea what came over me" – he locked his look on hers. He had few bottle of beers to drink. That pushed him even more. That and the idea she's falling for someone else. He had no idea how no one had noticed it, but to him, it was clear as a day. Guess when you love someone you think about how would they smile to you if they felt the same. Or how would they look at you or touch you. And that was how Elena looked and smiled at Stefan. Like she's falling for him. And that had hurt him so bad. Watching her fall for someone else, when he had already fallen for her.

„All the things I said to you, they're not true" – the first tear rolled down his cheek – „You're not nobody. You're the sweetest, nicest, kindest, smartest person I ever had pleasure of meeting" – his voice became sharp and silent, he was almost whispering, but loud enough for her to hear. Guess that's what had hurt the most. The way he had hurt her. She was his friend, one of his best friends. He knows her his whole life, and he had never imagined he would be able to hurt her so much, because of his own selfishness. He didn't even care about what she feels or wants, he had put his needs in the first place, before her own. He never thought he's capable of doing that to someone, especially not to Elena, girl he knows for as long as he can remember, girls he loves.

„Stefan is a good guy" – he laughed, cleaning away few tears rolling down his cheek – „Don't mind all of the bad things you have heard about him, none of them are true" – he smiled at her.

That was probably hard for him to say. He even swalloved few times while talking.

„Thank you" – Elena told him silently.

Matt simply nodded and looked down at Caroline who was no more frowning at him. He smiled at her, turned around and walked away.

Elena's look flew at Stefan's locker, but he wasn't there. Rebekah was by hers, which was only few lockers away from Stefan's. She inhaled deeply, smiled at Bonnie and Caroline, and walked over to Rebekah.

„Rebekah?" – Elena said her name in a sweet voice, afraid of her reaction.

Rebekah had shut the doors of her locker loudly, giving Elena a sharp look. Look Elena was known to give to other people. Her look sent goosebumps all over Elena's skin.

„How can I help you?" – she said with the same tone of voice, letting her know she's mad, and Elena knew why. Every time she would look at Rebekah, she met her disapproving look. Elena understood that, Rebekah was looking out for her friend. She would do the same for Caroline and Bonnie.

„I was wondering, have you seen Stefan?" – Elena locked her eyes on Rebekah's, but Rebekah did not blink, not even once.

Rebekah kept her serious face expression for the whole time. „Why? You want to make out with someone else in front of his eyes again?" – Rebekah snapped at her.

She deserved that.

„Both of you are such twats" – Rebekah continued before Elena even got a chance to say something – „The lack of confidence both of you have is puke worthy" – Rebekah rolled her eyes as she leaned next to her locker.

Elena did not know what to say to that. Stefan didn't seem like the kind of a guy who would have problems with his self esteem. He had the whole package – looks, personality, money.

„Stefan is.. he's not what you think he is. He's different. None of the people here actually know him. They make assumptions of him based on his looks, or how his life looks from the inside. No one thinks about what's going on behind the closed doors" – Rebekah turned her head around to look at Elena who was carefully examining her as she talked – „And in a relationship, Stefan has known to be a sensitive pussy whipped idiot" – Rebekah laughed out loud, so Elena laughed with her – „But when he loves someone, giving that person everything he has is not an option for him, it's the only way to go" – her face expression became serious again. „What about you, Elena?" – Rebekah asked.

Elena's eyes grew wider as she looked at now relaxed Rebekah. She did not seem hostile anymore. Guess Rebekah wasn't that kind of a person, she was just really defensive of her friend.

„What about me?" – she asked, leaning to the locker next to Rebekah's.

„Do you want to be with Stefan?" – Rebekah asked in all seriousness.

Elena lowered her head down and blushed. She was okay with admitting it to herself, or even to Caroline and Bonnie, but she wasn't sure she was okay with admitting it to Rebekah, Stefan's friend. But if she's not okay with letting him know, what's the point of admitting it to herself?

She could hear Rebekah laughing, so she raised her head and smiled back. Rebekah wiggled her nose at her.

„If you want to be with someone, you have to let them know. You have to take a chance, and who knows, you might find what you're looking for" – Rebekah winked at Elena before she started playing nervously with her fingers. „Stefan may or may not be at his house at the moment, but you didn't hear this from me" – she winked at Elena again, before squeezing her by the shoulder and walking by past her.

Elena closed her eyes and leaned deeper on the locker.

„Don't hurt him" – she heard a voice next to her ear.

She saw Katherine standing next to her, and Elena couldn't belive that was her voice. She wouldn't recognize it, since it was lacking that mean and sharp vibe she would usually add to her already harp voice. Her hair was tied in a tall pony tail, once she used to wear when they were younger. She was wearing her cheerleading uniform, but somehow, she didn't look like Katherine. The muscles of her face were relaxed and she wasn't checking her from the top of her head to the tips of her toes, judging her.

„What?" – Elena asked confused.

„Stefan" – Katherine whispered his name – „He doesn't deserve it. Not again" – she pleaded her more than she warned her. „His heart is more fragile than you think."

Elena swalloved hard before nodding to her, surprised by Katherine's behavior. She was acting almost friendly. Elena exhaled and walked by past Katherine.

„Elena" – Katherine called after her. Elena stopped walking and turned around. „I'm sorry" – Katherine said with a husky voice.

„For what?" – she asked confused.

„For everything" – Katherine replied with a teary voice before turning around and running away in another direction.

Elena furrowed her brows. She opened her locker and took out her bag, and without any explanation ran away through the front door, leaving Bonnie and Caroline confused. She sat in her car and started driving. Her mind was clear of thoughts. For a moment there she forgot where she's driving and what her intentions are. Until she stopped her car in front of Stefan's house. That is when she remembered what she's doing. She slowly got out of the car and somehow dragged herself to his front door, although her legs, and her mind, was telling her to run, something else was keeping her there.

She closed her eyes and took one deep breath to prepare herself to knock on the door.

„Elena?" – she heard a familiar voice coming from in front of her.

She opened her eyes and saw Stefan standing in the front door.

**xxxx**

**So, this was kind of a in between, filler chapter, that ended with a cliffhanger. So next chapter we finally get to see some Stefan and Elena action, now when they're both ready for that, now when people around them understand and are accepting of what's going on between them. I didn't want to make Katherine a villain. Everyone always make a villain out of her, even in the show, but I do not believe she is one. Other than Stefan, she's my favorite character. And I believe that she's a girl who made a lot of mistakes and wrong decisions due to what happened to her earlier in life. And she represents that selfish part of us where all we want to do is forget other people and do what pleases us the most. I guess that's why her and Stefan are my favorite characters, because they represent two parts of us that our in constant battle with themselves.**


	10. Chapter 10

The way he said her name kept echoing in her ears. Her name fell down his lips like the sweetest melody, and although she was never a big fan of her name, coming out of his mouth, she could spend the whole eternity listening to it.

„Elena" – he repeated her name once or twice, waking her up from a deep trens she fell into the moment he appeared on the front door. „What are you doing here?" – he asked, genuinly confused and curious, once he was sure she's paying attention to him.

She took few steps backwards, allowing him to step outside. She raised her look up to the sky and noticed clouds closing up above them. The sky was dark, and grey clouds were twirling around each other, creating a spiral mass. She lowered her look down and noticed his curious eyes locked on her face.

„I came to apologize. Actually, I came to explain myself to you" – she tried to make sense of herself.

He obviously woke up not so long ago. He was wearing blue boxers and a wrinkled, grey shirt. His hair was a mess, it was all over the place, and it looked like the locks of his hair were in a battle for a certain place on his head. His hair was so messed up that not even the mild wind that was blowing their way was able to untangle it, or at least make it move. His eyes looked tired, and his eyebrows were close to each other. There was one important thing missing – his smile. Or more importantly, smile he had when he was around her. That little smirk in the corner of his lips, widening into a big smile with every step she made closer to him.

„About what?" – he crossed his arms on his chest while looking at her right in the eyes.

She looked at him in awe and sighed. „About what happened with Matt" – she lowered her head to detach her look from his, but before she knew it, her head was back up, like something was making her to maintain eye contact with him – „That was one big.. no, enormous mistake. It was an accident and - "

„So his lips accidentally fell on yours and stayed like that for couple of minutes?" – he interrupted her in the middle of her sentence. He's not going to make this any easier for her, is he? He was obviously mad. No, he wasn't just mad, he was hurt too. He made few steps closer to her, and she took few steps backwards, afraid of being close to him. But he didn't seem to notice. Or he simply didn't react to her action. „Tell me this Elena, when did you realize kissing him is a mistake? Before you kissed him, or after?" – he asked while maintaining a serious expression on his face.

Saying she didn't kiss Matt, but that Matt kissed her, would be a lie, and it would be a cowardly thing to do. It would be an easy way out. Because she did kiss him back. She probably wouldn't have kissed him back if he hadn't made her feel like shit few minutes before. But that was no excuse and Elena did not want to tell that to Stefan. She didn't want Stefan to have a bad opinion about Matt, especially now when he apologized, and when she knows he never meant what he said.

She could feel a first drop of rain on her skin.

„Before" – she said through a whisper, ashamed of her own actions. She wanted to tear her look away from Stefan's, but she couldn't. She had a feeling someone had put a spell on her, a spell which prevented her from looking away, or from looking anywhere else other than his eyes.

„And you did it anyway" – he shook his head.

She furrowed her brows. „Yes Stefan, I made a mistake. Are you going to tell me you never made a mistake before?" – she had crossed her arms on her chest, partially to make a statement, and partially because the wind started blowing harder, and she was getting cold.

Busted. Unfortunately, he had no come back. He had made many mistakes before, mistakes worse than the one she made. But he was tired of hiding his feelings. He was tired of checking her out in the hallway. He was tired of wanting her and not being able to have her, and he was tired of hoping one day he'll have her. They're going to clear whatever's going on between them now, once and for all. Hopefully, before the rain starts pouring down.

„What are we doing here?" – she buried her face in her hands, wind messing up her hair, playing with it, throwing it from one side to another.

„Well, you're the one who came here, so you tell me" – he raised his voice unintentionally.

She raised her head and tried to fix her hair. She sighed and made few steps closer to him. She was much shorter than him, so he had to look down at her. „I'm here because.." – she lowered her head and watched her hand getting closer to his, until she was finally scraping the fingers of his hand with hers, and grabbing his hand into hers, making them intertwine their fingers and hold to each other. It was then when she raised her head and noticed his surprised look and his lips shaped in the letter 'O'. „Because every time your skin touches mine, I feel this" – the top of her head was barely reaching his chin, which made her look way up, and made him look way down. „Do you feel it too?" – she asked him while squeezing his hand into hers.

He felt her silky skin on top of his, her fingers leaving marks on his, marks he was sure will stay there for a lifetime, or even longer.

„Yes" – he closed his eyes and took a deep breath.

From the moment Elena admitted to herself her feeling for him, she realized he feels the same. When she became aware of the way he made her feel, she noticed all the little signs that were telling her he feels the same. They way he acted around her, the way his lips curved into a smile, the way his hand twitched every time his skin would come in contact with hers, all the things he told her about his life, how he felt he could trust his with his secrets, how he took her to the place he only took his best friend to, and how he told her she smells like Oreos, no matter how silly that sounds. But he loved Oreos, they were important to him, and she reminded him of them, so that has to mean something. But she had to be sure. She had to know were those signs really there, or did she make them up, or interpret them wrong. She had to know. The only problem was, she felt like she doesn't have enough strength in her body or mind to find out. The same thing that was pushing her forward was holding her back.

She had let go of his hand and turned around. „I hate this" – she said loudly while new raindrops were covering her skin. They were tiny, but noticeable. She watched them sliding on her skin, forming into one big raindrop.

„Hate what?" – he asked in shock, thinking they were making progress.

He could feel his heart pounding wildly. He had never felt like this before. He was never in a situation like this before. All the girls he was with, with them, it was easy. Every experience they had came without him trying too hard. But with Elena, he had to work for it. And none of the things he did seemed to work so far. Guess that's what made his experience with her memorable, and what made him want her more. She did not fall in his arms as soon as he smiled at her. And that made her worth of it. Her self respect made her worth of the wait. But he didn't want to wait no more. He had no strength in his body to spend another day knowing another chance he had went to waste. Because he knew what he felt, and now he was sure she feels the same too. Because that feeling both of them had when their skin collided was more than enough.

She turned around and he could see the tears in the corners of her eyes. He could see raindrops rolling down her arms, and it was then when he noticed that the rain had started falling, and that it was covering the skin of his arms too.

„I hate whoever gave you my name" – she raised her voice at him – „I hate you for crossing the treshold of tutor center" – the first tear rolled down her cheek but soon enough got lost in the raindrops on her face – „I hate you for making me feel like this. For making me want you and need you without even trying. I hate how my skin burns every time you touch it, and how my mind gets all foggy when you look at me. I hate the feeling in my chest whenever you're near me, like my heart dropped down my fingertips and spilled all over the ground. I hate the feeling in my stomach when you're gone, like I'm hungry when I know I ate a second ago" – she threw her hands in the air out of despair – „And I hate myself for allowing myself to feel like this" – she pulled her fingers through her hair, pushing it backwards – „But most of all, I hate the fact you would never be with someone like me" – she cried out at the last sentence, because pronouncing it out loud made it more real, more true.

Stefan looked at her in shock before laughing out loud, which made her gasp. He lowered his head and scratched the back of his neck, the place where his hair ends. „Anyone would be lucky to have you" – he raised his head and met her wandering eyes, curious like a little child – „You're smart. And kind. And beautiful. Too beautiful for words. And your smile can make everyone smile. I love how you nervously twirl your hair around your finger during the class. And how you blush every time someone compliments you, or when you find yourself in an awkward situation. And your touch also makes my skin burn, and whenever you're near me I have a feeling my heart will pierce my skin and force it's way out through my chest. It's not about how I would never be with you, the problem is how someone like you would never be with me" – he smiled at her, painfully.

What a pair they are, one's confidence lower than the others.

„But I don't want anyone" – she said silently, making him look at her – „I want you" – she cried out, making his lips part out of shock. The rain started falling harder and harder, reflecting against their skin.

Few minutes passed, and neither of them said a word. The silence between them became awkward.

„I'm sorry for disturbing you" – Elena tried to outvoice the rain that was making the ground beneath their feet softer – „I'll go now."

She turned around and started walking towards her car in a hurry. She could feel the ground beneath her feet slipping and her heart was pounding wildly, making her chest ache. When she was few steps away from her car, she could feel someone's hand on her wrist. She could feel Stefan on her skin, because she had the same burning feeling she gets when he touches her, although the cold rain was covering her whole body. He twirled her around and she bumped into his chest, pressing her relaxed hands next to his strong torso, feeling the strength and firmess of his body pressing next to hers once again. His hands were wet and slippery, and he was rubbing her cold arms, pressing her tightly next to him. Then he had let go off one of her arms, and put the fingers of his hand under her chin, making her raise her head and look up at him. Before she even knew it, she could feel his lips pressing next to hers, and she had no other choice than surrender herself to him. She wanted to. First his lips scraped next to hers, leaving little space between them, filled with passion, and need, and even some fear. That only made her lips come closer to his, and in that moment, she had a feeling she has no control over her body anymore. When their lips pressed next to each other, she had a feeling she found everything she was looking for. Her skin wasn't on fire anymore, it was the perfect temperature, making her body sway alongside the raindrops that were soaking her clothes and making her skin freeze. But her lips trembled under his, and they were the ones who burned now. They were a perfect match, his lips were like a burning light and hers were dry wood, and together they made an eternal fire that was keeping both of them warm under the struggling grey clouds. He moved his hands up, cupping her face, caressing her cheeks with his thumbs. He followed the lines of her face with his thumbs, trying to memorize her face, but what he didn't know is that her face is very well implanted in his mind, and soon enough he would realize her face is the face he's been dreaming about since he was old enough to understand the meaning of love. Her cheekbones fell perfectly in the palms of his hands, wanting to make his palms an everlasting residence for themselves. And their lips pressing next to each other said more than words ever could, and not even the best painted picture could ever trutfully show all of the emotions they were feeling at the moment. His lips were like a magnetized surface for hers, because every time he would part his lips from hers to catch air, her lips would instantly fall back on his. His lips were her home, home she never wanted to leave again. She had a feeling she spent all these years lost in the forrest, trying to find her way out, and then he lifted her in the sky, teaching her how to fly. Because that's how both of them felt, like they're flying, like they lost the ground beneath their feet.

When he couldn't handle the lack of air in his lungs anymore, he detached his lips from hers, and although hers were catiously and slowly trying to find their way back to them, in the moment he rested his forehead on hers, her lips lost the little strength they had left and gave up. She could feel him smiling, although her eyes were closed, so she smiled after him.

„You have no idea for how long I wanted to do this" – he said through laughter, still cupping her face with the palm of his hands, pulling two of his fingers around her cheeks in circles, removing the cold raindrops from her skin.

Neither could describe the feeling in their chest at the moment. Their hearts were calming down, like a sea after restless waves, but the ache in their chest was growing with every second that passed by. And it was a good kind of ache, when you know you're hurting, but you actually enjoy the pain. There are good kinds of pain. That stingy feeling in your throat before you kiss someone you want to kiss for the long time. Or when your loved one pulls their fingertips over your thighs in the moment of passion, and you have a feeling like someone is pouring alcohol over your burns, but you don't want them to stop. Or when he's kissing your neck, and playfully scrapes his front teeth over your skin, and you can feel the sharpness of his teeth on your vessel, and you have a feeling like you're going to bleed out, but you don't want the tingly feeling that possessed your whole body to go away. But the thing that was more unexplainable was the feeling in their minds. They were.. peacefull. Neither of them ever felt like this before, and if they were it was so long ago that memory slipped their minds.

The sweetest laugh escaped her throat, echoing in his ears like the melody he could wake up to every morning. Her voice was something he would be glad to wake up to, although he hates waking up, and although he's not a morning person. But her voice echoing in his mind as he's waking up would be the best thing in the world.

„And you have no idea how long I waited for you to do this" – she smiled after saying these words, playing with the ends of his hair, like she had seen him doing million of times before.

She could feel his hands falling down her body, and this was the first time his fingers rested so close against the skin of her body, since her clothes were wet, almost transparent. His fingertips scraped against her chest, falling down her waist, and he finally stopped them on her hips, pulling her closer to him. The rain was pouring down on their bodies, and the raindrops were so big and heavy now, they had almost hurt while falling harshly on her skin. Their bodies were dripping wet, cold and trembling, but the place where her body was pressing next to his, was warmer than any other thing known to mankind.

„Let's get you inside before you get a pneumonia" – she could have felt his smile on her forehead as he was puckering his lips to kiss it.

He wrapped his arms around her waist and pressed his lips next to hers, and kissed her passionately. This kiss was different than the kiss they shared few minutes ago. He kissed her like they didn't share their first kiss a moment ago. He kissed her like he has been kissing her for an eternity. And he had felt like he did. And she didn't mind him kissing her like that, especially since no one in her life ever kissed her like that. With so much fire and passion, want and need. No one made her body stiff and relax at the same time in a second. They started walking towards the front door, kissing, and before they knew it, they were inside. His arms were still pressing tightly around her waist. She was standing on the tip of her toes while kissing him, because there was no other way for her to reach his lips. He could feel her legs getting tired since they were trembling under her weight, so he wrapped his arms more tightly around her and picked her up in the air. She could feel the empty space between the floor and her feet, and he could feel her lips curving into a smile while they kissed. He knew they were reaching the stairs, but he did not want to part his lips from hers, so her carried her all the way upstairs. He didn't mind, he could barely feel the weight of her body since she was as light as a feather. Even if she wasn't, if carrying her was the only way to feel her close to him, he would never let her go.

When they came into his room was when he had finally put her on the ground. He detached himself from her body, and she looked around his room.

„I have never been in your room before" – she said, stepping behind him and looking around.

If she had been in his room before, she would have been surprised. But now, she thought it's the perfect representation of him. It wasn't a room of a typical teenage boy, it had a soul. There was a king sized bed, and on the wall above it were pictures glued to him, mostly of him with Rebekah and Nik. There were some pictures with Katherine too, but she tried to ignore those. Next to his bed there was a bedside table with a night lamp and a book from which a bookmark was sticking out. On the other wall, there was a messy table, with few family pictures. On the same wall there was a huge shelf filled with books. She was a little surprised by all the books he possessed. There was enough to open a small library. On the wall across it there was a closed window with a bench, and next to it was a huge flat screen hanging from the wall, and in front of it were two bean bags and an Xbox. On the last wall, there was a big wardrobe, and next to it was a long dresser with three long drawers, and on the wall above it with what seemed to be black ink was written „All men who have achieved great things have been great dreamers".

When Elena turned around, she saw him smiling at her.

„Take your clothes off" – he told her with a big, wide smiled across his face.

She went pale. „Excuse me?" – she asked, as calm as she could, but her voice trembled.

He laughed out loud when he saw her eyes getting wider and wider. He scratched the back of his neck. „Take your wet clothes off so you can slide into something more comfortable" – his cheeks started to blush, so he tried to hide it with lowering his head down.

He started walking towards the dresser, and she nodded. She grabbed the down end of her wet shirt with the tips of her fingers and pulled it up her body. She pulled her skirt down her legs, took the wet clothes in her hands, and spread them on the window bench so it would dry faster. When he was only few steps away from the dresser, he turned around and saw her standing in front of the window in nothing but her bra and panties. The drops from the ends of her hair were dripping down her back, sliding down and ending on the soft material of her lacy white panties. She looked perfect. Her white underwear was a perfect contrast to her tanned skin, and the long brown hair that was wet and sticking next to her skin only made her more sensual.

He started walking towards her, but she haven't noticed him until he wrapped his arms around her waist. He could feel his body twitch as he intertwined the fingers of his hands on her stomach. This was the first time he was actually touching the bare skin of her body, and her body trembled under his touch, especially when she could feel his touch making her skin warm again. She could feel his wet shirt sticking to the skin of her bare beck, and she could feel his abs pressing next to her skin. He kissed her neck and she jumped a little.

„Stefan" – she said silently while her breathing was deep – „I'm a - "

„I know" – he interrupted her before she got a chance to finish the sentence – „I just want to hold you" – he whispered into her ear. She could feel his warm breath on her frozen ear, and when he kissed it, she released a silent moan, trying to cover it with a cough, embarressed such a silly little thing could get her so excited.

And he knows? How does he know? Is it so obvious that she had never been with a guy before? Is it written on her forehead? Can you smell it on her?

And he was honest, he wanted to hold her, and only hold her. From the moment he took her in his arms to the moment he had let her go, he didn't move his hands from her stomach. They didn't go up her chest nor did they slide down her legs, he kept his fingers intertwined on her stomach, slowly pushing her closer to him so he could feel her body next to his. He kissed her neck few more times, and he planted few kissed on her shoulders. He removed her wet hair from them so he could kiss them, and he did it so slow that she could feel her hair tingling her back as the ends of her hair scraped against her skin. She was his feniks. Her skin would burn under his touch, it would turn into ashaes, only for another movement of his fingers make her raise again, make her reborn, make her alive. He planted the last kiss on her shoulder before pulling his hands back and letting go off her.

„You will find some shirts in the first drawer of the dresser, so pick whatever you like" – he pointed to the dresser as she turned around. She nodded at him before walking in the direction of the dresser.

He took that time to change his own clothes, so ht took off his wet clothes in a hurry, and changed into the clothes he found hanging on the chair by his writing desk.

„Stefan, what is this?" – Elena asked while looking in the drawer.

No. No, no, no. He did not leave that there. And she had not seen it. Impossible. No. No, no, no. Everything but that.

He could hear her laughing as she picked up the object from the drawer. He could see the blue frame in her hands. Yes, she had found it. He couldn't have believed it. She turned around with a big smile on her face, holding the frame in her hands, pointing it at him.

„Why do you have a framed picture of an Oreo?" – she asked through laughter.

He blushed and scratched the back of his neck as he watched her laughing at him.

„It's the first Oreo I ever tasted" – he said seriously, which only made her laugh more.

He furrowed his brows. Why was she laughing at his Oreo? No one laughs at the Oreo. People are supposed to go 'mmm' when they see one, not laugh at it. Good thing that Oreo was long gone, or else she could have hurt his feelings with her behavior.

„Was that a memorable moment for you?" – she laughed some more – „And how did the cookie feel? Did he pose for the camera?" – she couldn't stop herself from laughing.

„You're so not funny" – he rolled his eyes.

She stopped laughing. „I'm sorry, am I interrupting something here? I mean, I can leave, if you think you would enjoy an Oreo more than me" – she had put one of her hands on her hip while waving the picture with her other hand.

Oh God. What if someone makes him choose between her and an Oreo? Who would he choose? Oh God. That would be the toughest decision he ever had to make. He enjoyed Elena very much.. but Oreos. I mean, he does know Oreos longer than her, therefor, he's more emotionally attached to them. On the other hand, Elena might be the only thing in the world that makes him feel better, and that leaves a better taste in his mouth than Oreos.

Elena had put the picture on the top of a dresser, and when he noticed which shirt she was wearing, a huge grin appeared on his face.

„What?" – she frowned.

„Look at what you're wearing" – he pointed at her shirt.

She was confused, since she had put on the first shirt on the pile, under which she had found the picture. She looked down and saw a blue shirt with.. oh God. There was a printed Oreo on it. She raised her head and looked at him grinning at her.

„Baby, you look so sexy in that shirt" – he checked her out while bitting his lower lip. „I could eat you up" – he started walking towards her, still grinning.

„Stefan, don't!" – she yelled before she found herself in his arms. He took her in his arms and picked her up, wrinkling up the shirt she was wearing. She intertwined her legs around his waist which made her shirt raise, and he had put his hands under her bottoms.

He had carefully put her on the bed and kissed her, going with his fingers through her hair.

Elena and Oreos, best combination ever.

**xxxx**

**I hope you enjoyed this chapter. Finally some Stelena action.**

**And to the person who hoped for a Matt/Stefan throwdown, sorry, not going to happen. It's chapter 10, and I felt like it's time for them to happen, because there's a difference between developing a couple, and postponing a couple from happening. When couple happens too fast, you're happy, but you didn't have that rise from expecting them to happen, but sometimes, you wait so long for a couple to happen that they lose their charm. So when I thought I reached my perfect middle, I made them happen. Plus, that would make Matt a bad guy, which I clearly pointed out in the last chapter neither him or Katherine are. There are no bad guys here, only confused, hormonal teenagers. So sorry if I disappointed you.**


	11. Chapter 11

Elena was walking down an empty hallway with a wide smile across her face. She was late for class. Neither her alarm clock nor Jenna screaming her name, telling her she's going to be late, managed to wake her up. She skipped Jenna's awful coffee and did her morning routine in a hurry. Never in her life has she been late for class, and if it were any kind of a different situation, she would curse herself for being late, but happiness was still flooding her mind and body, and being upset at herself for being late for class was the last thing on her mind.

She opened her locker and took a Psychology book out of it. The events from yesterday were still flowing through her mind, flashing in front of her eyes like they're happening now, making her heart race and the hair on her hands stand straight up. Not even the warm shower washed away Stefan's kisses from her lips, so she could still feel them tingling, trembling at the memory of him kissing her in the rain. They were craving for more, although she and Stefan kept making out on his bed long after they came inside the house, before she rested her head on his chest, and before both of them started laughing at what kind of fools they both were. Her neck was still pulsating from all the kisses he planted there, and her mind would not let her forget how softly his fingers fell on her skin, especially when he picked her up from the ground, keeping his hands firmly under her bottoms. She wanted to feel the fire again. Fire starting in her toes and spreading through her whole body while he was lying on top of her, with the fingers of one hand going through her hair, and with the fingers of another gently fondling her hips. She never felt more alive than in the moment when his lips collided with her skin.

She started walking faster, when she could feel someones fingers wrapping around her wrist, pulling her in until her body crashed against the door between two lines of lockers. As soon as fingers fully wrapped around her wrist, she knew it was Stefan, because no one ever touched her so gently, and no one's touch made her body change temperature in the time of one second. When she felt wooden doors behind her back, she raised her head and smiled at already smiling Stefan, who was lowering his head to lock his lips with hers. She accepted the kiss only to detach her lips from his after few seconds, leving him lingering close to her face, expecting her lips to go back where they're supposed to – back on his.

„Someone will see us" – she said as he opened his eyes only to catch her look wandering around the hallway.

He looked around as well. The hallway was empty. When he turned his head around to look at her, he was frowning.

„So? I want everyone to know that you're mine" – he pulled a wide grin across his face.

The corners of her lips curved into a smile and blush came over her cheeks once again, which made him chuckle.

„Am I yours?" – she raised her head and her eyes wandered in the direction of his, curiously anticipating for his answer.

He smirked and took the lock of her hair, only to push it behind her ear and caress her blushing cheek. „Yes" – he said reassuringly.

That simple answer was enough for her to stand on the tip of her toes and throw her arms around his neck. She kissed him gently while playing with the ends of his hair on the back of the neck. He had put his arms around her waist and pulled her closer to him, making their bodies grin against each other.

„But this time, I want to do things right" – he said after detaching his lips from hers.

He had met her confused look and laughed lightly while lowering his head down.

„You know, I want to take you on a date, make you shiver before I kiss you in the end of it" – he smirked at her and she smacked his shoulder with her loose fingers – „Tell our friends" – he continued, to which her face adapted a shocked expression.

Bonnie and Caroline, two of them completely slipped her mind. Yesterday she left the school with no explenation given. She missed the rest of her classes, and still had no idea how will she excuse herself to the teachers, or to Jenna. Obviously, she can't tell the truth, so she'll have to come up with some kind of a lie. Good one. But to Bonnie and Caroline she has to tell the truth. But how? They will expect details and she alone has no idea how everything happened, or how to explain everything that was going on in her mind for the past few weeks.

He furrowed his brows to the shock on her face she desperately tried to hide. „Rebekah and Nik won't be surprised anyway" – he continued, deciding not to react to the way her face started changing colors, or to the way her lips were shaped.

„Neither will Caroline and Bonnie" – she lied, trying to make her face go back to normal. Caroline and Bonnie will be surprised. No, they will be shocked. They will be accepting, but also confused, because both of them probably think Elena would never make such bold move when it comes to Stefan.

Stefan smiled when he saw her being her usual self. „I was thinking we could tell them today" – he said carefully, caressing the fingers of her right hand with his.

She sighed. She knew she will have to do this, but she thought she will have more time to prepare. Maybe this is better, telling them today. That way she won't have time to think about their reactions, and she won't have time to make a big deal out of it, so when they do tell them, she will do it with a completely open mind, and without any fear of what their reaction might be. So she inhaled deeply and nodded to him.

He intertwined his fingers with hers and tightly squeezed her hand into his.

„Good" – he smiled at her – „Today, the Grill, 7pm sharp. You bring Bonnie, and I'll call the rest" – he lowered his head and kissed her cheek, keeping his lips on her skin longer than he intended. His lips were magnatized to her skin, and he needed a lot of energy to pull them away.

He had let go of her hand, smiled once again, and ran away in another direction. Elena fell deeper on the doors and buried her face in her hands before remembering she's late for class and walking towards the classroom in a hurry.

**xxxx**

Caroline and Nik were sitting in the separate booth in the corner of the Grill. Her head was lowered on his shoulder, and he kept pulling his fingers through her hair. Every now and then she would turn his head around and keep it in that position until he locked his lips with hers. Caroline and Nik were one of those cheesy couples who had to rub their love in everyone's faces.

„Gross" – Rebekah said as she made herself comfortable on the soft bench of the booth across the happy couple. She came there in the moment Caroline told Nik he's her snuggly teddy. Rebekah hated couples like that. She was happy her brother has found someone, and she really liked Caroline, but most of the time the two of them made her puke.

Caroline and Nik rolled their eyes at her comment, but even though they knew it bothers her, they went back to being puke worthy sweet, as they always were. After few minutes Stefan strolled in the Grill, and she thanked God he came so soon, so she doesn't have to be alone with snuggling monsters across her.

When Stefan met Rebekah's grossed out look, he chuckled. He walked to the table in a hurry, because he knew if Rebekah was left alone with them for some more, she would duck tape both of their mouths. Or something worse, depending on what kind of a day she had. Rebekah looked relieved when he got closer to their table, but Caroline and Nik raised their heads only for a moment to greet Stefan, then Caroline's face disappeared on Nik's chest, and he hid his head in her hair.

Rebekah's eyes grew wider until she finally rolled them. They were like fucking lobsters. It's a well known fact lobsters mate for life.

„So, are you going to tell us why you summoned us all here, oh great one?" – Rebekah fixated her look on Stefan and cocked one of her perfectly shaped eyebrows at him.

Stefan smirked at her. „Be patient little one, we're still waiting for two more people" – Stefan tapped her on the head before jumping one step back so she could grab his hand in a tight grip.

Stefan lowered his head down. „I think that one day, they're going to melt into one person" – Stefan whispered into her ear.

Rebekah giggled while looking at her brother and Caroline, cuddled up next to each other. They looked like one giant soccer ball.

„Or eat each other up" – Rebekah said loudly, not trying to hide her comments like Stefan, but neither Nik or Caroline were bothered by her comment.

In that moment Bonnie and Elena walked in the Grill. Stefan met Elena's scared look, but as soon as their eyes locked, a smile appeared on her face, and her whole body relaxed. She grabbed Bonnie by her hand and started leading her towards the table. Bonnie waved at everyone happily, and Rebekah scooted by the end of the bench, thinking both Bonnie and Elena will sit next to her, but Elena, on everyone's surprise, stood by Stefan. Even Caroline raised her head from Nik's shoulder and everyone by the table started glancing at each other. All of a sudden, Elena started feeling uncomfortable, and Stefan could feel her body tensing next to him.

„So.." – Stefan clapped with the palms of his hands to gain everyone's attention – „I have gathered you here today - "

„Cut the crap Salvatore and tell us what are we doing here" – Rebekah interrupted him in the middle of his sentence, and by the tone of her voice he could tell she's eager to find out whatever he has to tell them.

Stefan laughed lightly and glanced over at Elena, trying to catch her look she kept lowered down on the floor. Stefan looked down at her hand that was shakingly lingering next to her body.

„Well, you all know Elena" – he brought his hand closer to hers, intertwining his fingers with hers, lightly shaking their joined hands for everyone to see – „My girlfriend" – he raised his head to see the reaction of people sitting in front of them. He emphasized the word girlfriend which made Elena blush. Soon enough she raised her head only to see shocked faces of her friends.

„No way!" – both Caroline and Bonnie yelled at the same time, before locking their eyes on each other and bursting into laughter.

„I knew it" – Rebekah said calmly, but inside she was exploding out of the curiosity, and Stefan knew that. Her mind was flooded with million of questions.

„It was pretty obvious" – Nik added, as calm as his sister, but unlike her, he didn't need to know when, where or how.

Stefan grinned at his friends. All knowing mother fuckers, Mikaelson siblings.

„Well, me and Elena are going on our first date, so you will have to keep all of your questions to yourself for now" – Stefan looked at Rebekah, letting her know he knows she's curious.

„We are?" – Elena asked shocked, and confused.

Stefan turned his smiling face at her and nodded as he squeezed her hand harder in his. She smiled back. They waved at their friends, and Stefan quickly pulled her outside of the Grill.

**xxxx**

Elena was waiting in the hall, while Stefan was standing in the line to buy tickets.

She was relieved her friends reactions were normal, and that they did not freak out or anything, but she knew the next time she sees them, they will be full of questions.

She glanced over at Stefan and noticed he's walking her way. He was carrying two large popcorns, and two cups of Coke in his hands, carefully watching them so they wouldn't fall out of his hands. He looked so adorable while walking in slow motion while keeping an eye on the snacks.

In that moment it had hit her that her being with Stefan is reality. She remembered the tingly feeling in her chest when he called her his girlfriend in front of everyone. When he held her hand in public. When he kissed her in the school hallway not giving a damn will anyone see them. She was not only his, he was also hers. And they're on the beginning of something. They're on the beginning of sharing even the tiniest details of their days, sharing their secrets, their feelings, kisses and hugs. Elena was never in a relationship before. She never felt loved or wanted or needed, not in that way. And the fact Stefan went through it all more than once scared her. She was scared that he will want things she can't give him, or the things she's not ready to share with him. Unlike her, he was so experienced, and sleeping with someone was probably not a big deal for him, it was a normal part of the relationship. But for her, that area was unknown. When he got closer to her, she dismissed those thoughts.

„Do you need help?" – she asked with a smile on her face, watching him struggle with popcorns that were trying to jump out from the box on the floor.

He raised his head and frowned. „Guy carries snacks, not the lady."

She cocked her eyebrow at him, but she had let him have it. She wasn't incompotent child, she could do things by herself. She could carry a box of popcorn and a cup of Coke by herself, but she also knew Stefan didn't mean anything bad by that. Stefan was very traditional, and when it came to relationships, he had some sorts of believes. He was a guy who would open a car door for you, pull you a chair to sit on, carry your bags. She knew he wouldn't lock her in the kitchen or make her make him a sandwich while he's watching the game in the living room. In the same time, his traditional behavior flattered her, but it also bugged her a little. But that was who Stefan was, and she accepted him like that, deciding to stand on the middle ground.

„What are we going to watch anyway?" – she asked while putting one popcorn in her mouth. Stefan frowned at her. He hated when people ate popcorn before the movie actually started. Rebekah would always eat her own popcorn before the middle of the movie, then she would sneak her hand into his box and steal his popcorns, and he would pretend he didn't notice everything. Elena was the same, her popcorns never saw the beginning of movie, she would eat them by the time of opening credits.

„Some horror movie" – he shrugged.

Horror movies were the best kind of movies for the first date, and Stefan knew that. Him and Elena were somewhere in between of the beginning of their relationship and the honeymoon phase. In the middle of sharing kisses at special occasions, but not being used to each other's touch. And if they're going to watch a horror movie, there will be plenty of touching. Elena told him herself she's a scared little kitten when it comes to horror movies, so he knew there will be a lot of snuggling. He only hoped she won't remember telling him that.

„A horror movie?" – her face was washed with shock. No, he can't see her scared like that in the beginning. She acts like a frightened little child whenever she sees blood on the screen.

He cocked his eyebrow at her. „Scared much?" – he teased her.

She furrowed her brows. „No!" – he had hit him in the shoulder with her tiny fist, he barely felt her punch.

He smirked. He lowered his head and gave her a peck on the lips, but he didn't raise his head up, but brought his lips closer to her ear. „Don't worry, I took us love seats, so I can protect you from the dark."

Elena blushed. She was never in love seats. She would watch couples cuddle in them while watching a movie like they're in the privacy of their own living room. She would often envy them.

The lady opened the cinema so they could get inside. There were couple of teenagers there, lot younger than them, two couples who were about their age, and an older man, who was alone. Elena felt sorry for him. She never understood how can someone go alone to the cinema.

Stefan found their seat, and they sat down. Their bodies were in the close proximity of each other. When the lights went out, Stefan had put his arm on the top of the seat, his fingers lingering on Elena's shoulder. Elena was sitting still with her eyes locked on the screen, eating her popcorns.

The movie began playing and her body relaxed.

But every time a scary scene would come up, he could feel her body tense, and every time there was blood, she would jump a little in her seat. Finally, her head fell down on his shoulder, and he smiled. She finished her popcorn, but he hadn't touched his. He was too busy with holding her close to him. He had put the hand that was resting on the top of the seat around her shoulders, pulling her in. She would keep burying her head in his shirt like a child every time the scary scene would be on.

And that silly little moment became relevant to him, because that was when he realized he never wants to let her go. He wanted to protect her from everything in many ways than one. He wanted to protect her like a parent wants to protect their child from the world, how older sibling wants to protect their younger sibling from the bullies, how a lover wants to protect their better half from pain. He wanted to wrap his arms around her and never let her go, because he knew his arms were the only place where she's safe. He would never intentionally hurt her, and he would never let others hurt her.

She reached for his other hand, intertwining her fingers with his.

Happiness had hit both of them like a running train, and even if they wanted to, they had no time to move from the tracks. Neither of them were so happy for a long time as they were in that moment. The simplicity of moment they found themselves in made them happy.

With her other hand she reached for his popcorn that were sitting next to him. She took one and put it in her mouth while resting her head on his chest.

That little..

Cutest being on this planet, he thought.

He took the popcorns in his hand and put the box in his lap so it would be closer to her. She can eat his popcorn. And if she wanted more, he would get up and leave the movie to buy her more. He didn't need popcorns, he had her in his arms, and that was enough for him.


	12. Chapter 12

„I'm sorry, but I still can't believe it" – Caroline was lying on Elena's bed, holding her hands on her stomach, trying to stop herself from laughing – „I can't believe you're in a relationship with, and I quote, a dumbass jock who couldn't think of two smart ones even if his life depended on it" – Caroline laughed more when she remembered Elena's words about Stefan.

Elena blushed when she remembered them too. She said some pretty nasty things about Stefan before she even knew him. Now, she wanted to take all of those things back and replace them with good and kind words. Her and Stefan were a perfect example of how you shouldn't judge a book by its cover.

Bonnie was sitting in a chair, rolling her eyes at how silly Caroline looked. She didn't know what to say to either of them. She didn't have a boyfriend, nor did she need one. They are a waste of time, at least for now. Just because Caroline and Elena managed to find two decent ones, doesn't mean all of them are like that. Most of them are immature pricks who's mind is settled on only one thing, and one thing only.

The truth is, Bonnie had a boyfriend once. They weren't official, but they were spending a lot of time together. Sometimes they would talk, sometimes they would watch movies, sometimes they would even make out. That lasted for a pretty long time, few months actually, and Bonnie admitted to her friends she's head over heels for the guy. Soon after that, he wanted them to have sex, but Bonnie said she's not ready. After that, talking stopped, making out stopped, movie dates stopped. He barely even said hi to her when they bumped into each other in the hallway, until they stopped talking completely. Caroline would often say Bonnie can't move on because she never got her closure. Because he never told her he doesn't want to be with her, he simply stopped talking to her because she said she wasn't ready to sleep with him right that moment. After that, Bonnie stopped showing interest in guys.

Caroline rolled over on her stomach so she can face her friends. Elena was sitting on the floor, still blushing, and Caroline cocked her eyebrow at her.

„So" – she said, making the word longer than it actually was – „Did you do it?" – she raised one of her eyebrows and pulled a huge grin across her face.

Elena's eyes popped out, her face went pale, which only made her blushing cheeks more visible. „Caroline!" – Elena said her friends name with a husky voice, offended she would even ask her such a question – „We're only dating for a week" – Elena pointed out.

Caroline furrowed her brows. „But you have had feelings for him long before that."

That was true, but still, even month and a half wasn't long enough. Or was it? She had no idea how it works. Everything seemed so easy in the movies, but she knew real life is no movie, and that things never develop smoothly like the storyline in the movie does.

Caroline bit her lower lip. „Me and Nik took care of it in the beginning."

Bonnie choked on her ice tea, and Elena simply stared at Caroline. She knew Caroline was a virgin before she met Nik, and now she talked about it with such easyness in her voice. Maybe it really wasn't a big deal, maybe she was blowing this thing way out of the proportion. Maybe she should simply do it so she can be done with it already, so nothing can hold her back anymore.

„Why didn't you tell me anything?" – Elena asked with a shocked voice.

Caroline shrugged and rolled back on her back. „Because it happened somewhere around the time your Stefan problems came to the surface and I did not want to bother you with my problems" – Caroline said in a hurry and rolled back on her stomach – „My point is, you have nothing to be afraid of" – she smiled at Elena who was sitting on the floor, playing with her fingers like a child.

Bonnie laughed out loud. „Unfamiliar object would be invading her vagina, of course she has something to be afraid of" – Bonnie said with a serious expression on her face, which only made both Caroline and Elena chuckle. Bonnie rolled her eyes at both of them and leaned back in her chair.

Caroline turned her head and locked her eyes on Elena's. „I'm not saying you should go and jump him this moment, I'm only telling you not to wait too long because of some fear, because there is nothing to be afraid of. When you feel ready, when you're sure he's the person you love, go for it" – Caroline said, pulling out some fashion magazine from a box next to Elena's bed, and opening the last page so she could read a horoscope she read million of times before.

Love. Does she love Stefan? She feels something for him, something she never felt before. She knows she doesn't want to lose him. And she likes being in his presence. And when she's not with him, she wants to be with him, and she's thinking about being with him. When he holds her in his arms she feels like there's not a thing in the world that can hurt her, like he's her safe place to land. And when he holds her hand in public or kisses her lips in front of people, her whole body trembles, because she knows he's not ashamed of telling the world he's with her. She knows she can trust him, and she can tell him all of her secrets, and whatever she's feeling at the moment. Was that love? Does she love Stefan?

Maybe. Probably.

Love comes easily. All you need is a second, a minute, an hour. Love happens in a blink. The rest is you realizing you're in love, admitting it to yourself. Trying to find a way to show the world what you have without the fear world is going to take it away from you.

It takes so little to fall in love, but so long for a human brain to process it. Maybe it's better to think with your heart then. But then again, a heart makes rash decisions, a heart risks everything, a heart likes to play games, while brain likes to play safe. Heart takes too little, brain takes too long. But when she went over to Stefan's house that day, she listened to her heart.

Guess there are no right or wrong answers when it comes to love. There are simple yes or no that come with consequences.

**xxxx**

„Where's your mom?" – Stefan asked as he sat down on the big, leather couch in Mikaelson living room. He knew they're alone, since every time their mom is home, they go upstairs in Rebekah's room, so her mom would not bother them.

„At the spa. She said she needs a break, but I think she's hunting" – Rebekah had put a bowl of snacks on the table alongside with three beers, since Nik would be joining them soon. As soon as Stefan noticed an Oreo he dived in for it and Rebekah chuckled.

When she says hunting, she doesn't mean like putting on a uniform and taking a gun in your hands and going in the woods to kill defensless animals. Hunting is the term Rebekah uses when she thinks her mom is out there searching for a new husband.

„So.." – Rebekah threw few pillows on the floor and fell on them, lying on her stomach and glancing at Stefan over the bowl of snacks. She was trying to push herself up so she could see him. To him, she looked like a fish on a dry land, so he laughed and moved the bowl on the side. Rebekah fell in her primary position. „Elena?" – she asked, thinking she should get this done before Nik comes home.

A smile curved on Stefan's lips at the mention of her name. He nodded as he lowered his head to scratch the back of his neck. „Yeah" – he said silently, his mind racing, his heart pounding. He had missed her. He hadn't seen her since yesterday, and he missed her.

„Did you charm her with your Salvatore super sex powers?" – Rebekah asked as she took a bottle of beer in her hands and took a sip from it.

Rebekah was the only girl he knew who drank the beer from a bottle. Or beer at all.

Stefan raised his head and looked her in the eyes. „No" – he shook his head.

In that moment Nik came in and waved at both of them, walking into their direction. He sat on a couch next to Stefan and took the beer in his hands.

„So, what are we talking about?" – he smiled as he looked at his sister and best friend looking at each other, not blinking, not even once.

Rebekah was confused and shocked, mostly shocked.

„Shut up" – Rebekah yelled at him – „So what are you waiting for? You've been crushing on her since the moment she looked into your direction, which was more than two months ago. You had sex with other girls few days after you met them.." – Rebekah shrugged and rolled her eyes.

Nik glanced at Stefan who was speechlessly staring at Rebekah, and he thought he knows what the problem might be. Stefan could feel Nik's eyes on him, but he didn't turn around.

Rebekah bursted into laughter. „Remember than one we met during the vacations in Cali two years ago, what was her name, the one that sounded like a rhino during sex?" – Rebekah was rolling around the pillows at the memory of Stefan trying to show them how her voice transformed when she fell into the bed.

„Jessica" – Stefan shivered as he remembered the experience and took a sip of beer from the bottle.

Rebekah laughed even harder when she connected her name to the face in her mind, and both Nik and Stefan smiled at how silly Rebekah looked rolling on the floor and laughing like a crazy man. After some time she stopped and went back to her original position.

„But when you do it, you have to tell me how she was" – Rebekah took another sip of the beer.

Nik and Stefan looked at each other confused before Nik bursted into laughter.

Stefan looked at confused Rebekah and cocked his eyebrow at her. „Bekah, are you crushing on my girlfriend?" – Stefan chuckled.

Rebekah formed her lips in the shape of a letter 'O'. „No" – she yelled at him – „No" – she repeated once again when Nik wouldn't stop laughing – „It's just, she looks so innocent, so I want to know is it true what they say, is venom really kept in small bottles?" – she cocked her eyebrow right back at him.

Stefan sighed. „Well, she is" – he said. He could feel Nik looking at him since he finally got confirmation of what he was suspecting the problem might be.

„She is what?" – Rebekah furrowed her brows.

„Innocent" – Stefan said silently, almost through a whisper.

Rebekah's eyes grew wider. „She's a virgin?" – she asked shocked.

Stefan nodded his head.

Rebekah turned her look to Nik. „And Caroline was one too?" – she asked, to which Nik nodded.

„What is wrong with these girls?" – Rebekah said out loud, emptying the bottle of beer.

Both Stefan and Nik laughed out loud.

„Feeling a little dirty, sis?" – Nik teased her.

„Shut up" – Rebekah said as she took an Oreo from the bowl and threw it in Nik's direction. Luckily enough, Stefan was able to catch it in the mid air and save its life, to which both siblings rolled their eyes.

**xxxx**

Elena was sitting on the chair by Stefan's writing desk while she was waiting for him to come out from the shower. She took a peek of the family pictures that were laying on the table. There was one picture of Stefan with a guy who looked few years older than him, had a thin black hair and baby blue eyes. Elena concluded that is Damon, his brother. There was another picture with Stefan standing behind an older man who was sitting in his chair, looking at the camera, uninterested, while Stefan had a forceful smile on his face. And then there was the third and the last picture where Stefan was holding his arms around the olders woman neck, half of his face was buried in her blondish hair, and both of them had a wide smile on their faces.

„What are you doing?" – she heard Stefan's voice behind her back.

She turned her head around and saw Stefan standing behind her in nothing but his boxers. This was the first time she had ever seen him without his shirt on, and what a sight it was. Drops of water were falling down his naked torso from the ends of his wet hair. Her heart started pounding wildly, but she couldn't tear her look away from his abs.

He made few steps towards her and leaned his head down, leaving a soft and gentle peck on her lips. Few drops of water fell down his body on her clothes. The water pierced through the fabric of her shirt and made its way to her skin, dripping down her stomach. He took a shirt that was laying on the bed and put it on.

„How come you never talk about your mother?" – she asked as she grabbed his outstretched hand. He pulled her up and made both of them fall on his bed.

His wet hair was soaking the pillow. She had put her head on his chest, feeling his still wet skin soaking the fabric of his shirt, and she had put her arm around his waist. One of his arms was under her, supporting her, his fingers playing with the ends of her hair. He was pulling the fingers of his other hand over the skin of her arm that was closest to him.

It was funny how all she needed to be happy were these small moments. These small moments that wil stay carved into her memory for as long as she lives, no matter what happens in the future. At this moment, she had a feeling she's never going to be able to wash Stefan's fingertips off her skin, because she could feel him on her long after they would say goodbye. And as much as she enjoyed the happiness he brought with himself in her life, she was scared she will never be this happy again. She was scared that one day he will leave her, and that she won't know how to be happy without him.

Stefan pulled her closer to him, wanting to feel her body pressing next to his, so he would know she's there and that she's not going anyway.

Elena knew she can't lose him. She knew she can't lose anyone anymore, especially not people who were the most important to her.

And he knew he can't lose her either. He can't lose the person who made everything fall back in the place.

As much as they helped each other, they keep scaring each other with the thought one day this will be taken away from them.

„I was so close to my mom when I was younger, and so was my brother. Our father was the scary one, but our mom made everything better" – he said, and Elena noticed how he keeps calling his dad father, and how his mom is simply mom.

Stefan often talked about his father, and how he treated both him and his brother. How neither of them were good enough for anything other that he himself found fitting. She knew Stefan wants to become a doctor, but his father is pushing him to continue his football career. Everyone knew Stefan will get a scholarship. His grades were good, and he was the star player of their football team. There were scouts on every game he played this season, and in a world unknown to them, universities were fighting over him. But Stefan didn't care about football. He only started playing because his brother was playing too.

His brother was another problem too. Stefan had lost his brother in more ways than one, and Elena knew that pains him, because he was so close to his brother.

„When my brother had hit puberty and turned into a completely different person, my mom was lost and confused, because she had a feeling one of her children is slipping through her fingers" – Stefan said, pointing out that Damon's change did not only affect him, but his mother too – „Sometimes I think she's scared of my father. She supports him blindly, but I know she doesn't believe in everything he says and does. I think she feels like she has a certain obligation to him as his wife" – he shrugged. „About three years ago, I had another argument with my father, about my future. I can hardly call it my future since I have no say in it obviously. Well, I came out of his study with tears in my eyes, and my mother was there. From the look in her eyes, she had heard the whole thing. And then, she had told me that" – Stefan pointed with his finger at the ink written quote on the wall. „All men who have achieved great things have been great dreamers. To this day I have no idea where the quote is from, but whenever I think I won't handle another day in this house, I look at it and.. and everything is better."

She could feel his fingers wrapping around her arm, squeezing her tightly. She could feel his body tensing next to hers. She lifted her head up and kissed him on the lips. He smiled at her, because he needed that, and somehow, she knew it. She knew exactly what to do to make him feel better. She had put her head back on his chest, listening to his heart beat.

She wanted to run away and take him with her. She wanted to take away all of his insecurities and give him hope in his dreams. She wanted to give him everything she doesn't have. She wished his family was different, she wished they supported him and took his wishes into consideration. She wanted to stand up to them for him.

He told her everything about his family, so she felt like she owes him the same. She wanted to tell him how she felt, how she feels, what is she thinking about. She wanted him to know her as well as she knows him. She didn't want to keep any secrets from him.

„When my parents died, I was so.. sad" – she started talking – „I know it sounds simple, being said. I should have been in despair, or lost, or depressed, but I was simply sad. The thing people don't understand is that sadness can criple you as much as the feelings that sound worse. You can feel sadness washing over you, taking your every thought, stealing every word, leaving you in the dark, chaining your feelings, taking you away from the rest of the world" – she could feel his lips on the top of her head, his kisses ingraving themselves in her mind. „I kept asking myself why did I survive, and not them. One of them at least. The last thing I remember is seeing my mother unconcious and my father grabbing my hand and telling me he loves me, my hand falling out of his, and my eyes slowly closing, although I fought so hard to stay awake. They said they found me floating by the shore with my head down. They barely revived me. They said it was a miracle. I found it funny. My parents were dead and they called it a miracle" – she swalloved.

First tear fell down his cheek. He never urged her to talk about her parents because he knew how much it probably hurts to remember that day. He thought she will tell him about them when she's ready.

He started thinking about how close she was to dying, and how the possibility of him not holding her in his arms was lingering somewhere above their heads. He dismissed those thoughts because the idea of not having Elena in his life was too painful to bare. Now when he found her, he's not planning on letting her go that easily.

„Stefan?" – she said his name through a whisper.

„Yeah?"

„Can you promise me you will never leave me?" – she asked, knowing that is a question she shouldn't ask.

„I promise" – he said without thinking.

He shouldn't make promises he can't keep.

But those are the best kind.

**xxxx**

**Just wanted to inform that later today I will be publishing another Stelena fan fiction. I wanted to start writing it when I finish this one, but I'm nowhere near close to ending this one, so I was afraid the idea will slip my mind. If you're interested, you will be able to find it under the name Beautiful Accident.**

**Lots of love, and thank you for reading.**


	13. Chapter 13

The Salvatore family was sitting in the dining room, eating their dinner together, like their father would have always requested. That was one of the rare family traditions Stefan would enjoy, when all of them would sit together, and even for an hour, be one happy family. Not even Damon dared to be snarly at the dinner table, although that was probably because of their mom.

But tonight, Stefan wanted to be anywhere else but in that room. Everything felt wrong, something in the air was smothering him. He was sitting across Damon, and he couldn't even raise his head to look at him, although at few occasions he could feel Damon's eyes on him. His father was sitting on the head of the table, but Stefan didn't want to be in his presence either. It was enough he was controlling his life, he didn't have to spend any more time with the man than it was needed. The silence in the room was uncomfortable, but Stefan felt like he has no other choice. He had no topics to discuss with his family, he had nothing to say to them anymore.

„Stefan" – he heard the pleasant voice of his mother coming from the other side of the table – „Where is lovely Katherine, I haven't seen her for a while" – she asked curiously.

Stefan could see Damon's body stiffening with the corner of his eye. He suddenly stopped eating, and started gulping on a glass of grape juice that was resting next to his plate.

„We broke up" – Stefan replied. He had no intentions telling them why they broke up. But if they do ask, he's not going to lie to them. Damon doesn't deserve to be protected, or to be portrayed as innocent, not after everything that has happened.

He raised his head and saw a shocked expression on his mom's face. „In heaven's name, why?" – she asked with more curiosity this time.

A devilish smile appeared on Stefan's face. „Because she moved in the room down the hall" – he replied while struggling with his peas.

When he raised his head he met Damon's unfriendly look. Stefan sent him a you-deserved-it-brother look before meeting his mom's confused face expression. He looked over at his father who was looking at Damon, but Damon was trying to avoid his judgy eyes.

„I do not understand" – Stefan could hear his mother saying innocently with a silent voice.

„He's trying to tell you she cheated on him with his own brother" – his father, who unlike their mom got a hang of what was going on, hissed through his teeth while keeping his angry and disappointed face expression fixated on Damon. Damon was too scared to turn his head around, so he kept his look locked on Stefan's face.

It was funny seeing Damon so scared of their father. When they were younger, Damon was the one who would talk back and slam the door in his face, so Stefan would have to endure his words of punishment before hearing a life long lesson how his brother is no good and how one day he's going to pull him down with him. Stefan wouldn't hear such a thing, because he never believed Damon would do such a thing. He didn't find Damon as bad as their father did, especially not when they were kids. Stefan knew better because there was not a person in the world who knew his brother better than him. But he never thought Damon is going to hurt him so bad, or that their relationship will disappear completely.

Damon met their mom's how-could-you look, so he lowered his head down and looked at his plate. Stefan knew Damon wants to defend himself, but he also knew he can't stand up to their father. Not with the way he was feeling recently. Yes.. feeling. Stefan remembered Damon telling him he's in love with Katherine and the only reason why he's putting up with their father is because she told him he can be a better man than his father. Which made Stefan feel sorry for Damon, and which made Stefan regret putting his brother in this kind of a situation.

„I'm with someone else now, though" – Stefan said, trying to convey their parents attention to him, because if they kept looking at Damon for one more minute, he would burn down.

It worked. Both of their parents looked at him, but they didn't know what to say.

„Why don't you invite her for dinner?" – Damon said, cocking his eyebrow at Stefan.

Stefan didn't know did Damon say that, to change the subject or was that his way of paying back to him, because Stefan couldn't think of one good thing that would come out of Elena meeting his parents. He tried to console himself with the thought Damon said it to change the subject, because he was in no position to take his revenge upon Stefan.

„You want to steal this one too?" – Stefan raised his eyebrow while taking a sip of grape juice from the glass.

„Boys, that would be enough" – their father said with a husky voice.

„That's a lovely idea. Invite her for dinner tomorrow" – their mom said happily while looking at Stefan with her big, green eyes Stefan inherited from her.

Stefan wasn't a big fan of the idea. Elena was nothing like his family. She was sweet, and kind, and innocent. She would get along with his mom well. But he was scared of how his father would treat her. And Damon. Both of them knew to be very unpleasant at times. They were so different, but then again, so much alike.

„Sure" – he couldn't say no to his mom, so he decided to indulge her.

His mom smiled widely at him.

„So, tell us something about her, sweetie" – his mom demanded, wanting to know more about Elena.

„She.." – Stefan started as he took another sip of the juice from the glass – „She's the best thing that ever happened to me."

**xxxx**

Stefan was sitting on the stairs in the hallway, waiting for Elena to come over. He wanted him to be the first face she sees when she comes over, because he knew she is nervous. He called her yesterday to invite her over, and he could feel her voice trembling over the phone, although she was trying to pretend that she's calm and cool with what's going on.

The doorbell rang. Stefan ran to the door and opened them. He saw Elena's smiling face, but he could sense that somewhere deep behind that smile, she was scared as much as him. His eyes instantly flew over her body. She was wearing a knee length black strapless dress and same colored flats. It didn't have a big clevege, but it pointed out her perfectly shaped waist excellent. Her long, brown hair was falling over her back, hiding the bare skin the dress was not covering. She had no make up on her face except her strawberry flavored lip gloss Stefan could still taste in his mouth, and eyeliner that only pointed out her big, glossy eyes. His mom always said Katherine's clothes are too short and provocative.

„Hey" – she smiled at him.

He smiled back and grabbed her hand to pull her inside. He pulled her closer to him, wrapping his hand around her waist, and locking his lips on hers. He could taste her lip gloss who's traces she was leaving on his lips. She cupped his face with both of her hands and pulled him in for a more passionate kiss. He could feel her body next to his, it was grinning on his sensitive areas, which made him hot. He knew if he doesn't stop this kiss, he's going to explode.

He detached his lips from hers and rested his forehead next to hers.

„Hey" – she could feel his lips curving into a smile on the skin of her forehead.

„Not going to introduce us?" – he heard Damon's voice behind him, so he instantly rolled his eyes.

He grabbed Elena by her hand, leading her towards Damon, who had a big smirk on his face.

„Elena, this is Damon, my brother" – Stefan said the last word with certain heaviness in his voice. Elena stretched her free hand out to greet Damon's, but instead of shaking it, he took her hand in his and kissed the top of it.

„It's a pleasure to finally meet you" – Damon smirked at her, while looking her in the eyes.

Elena could feel Stefan's body tensing, so she squeezed his hand inside of hers. As soon as he felt her sign of support, he relaxed, and she could feel it.

Damon turned his head around to face his brother. „Wow Stef, you really do have a type" – he said as he checked Elena out.

Stefan laughed out loud. „Just like you. But tell me this, do you like all of the girls that are taken, or just the ones that are mine?" – he asked seriously.

Elena was surprised by Stefan's mean streak. She had never seen him like this before, nor did she ever hear him saying anything like that to anyone. She knew he has a problem with his brother, she knew everything about his feelings towards him, but she could have never guessed there's so much tension between them.

„Maybe you should watch for this one then" – Damon winked at his brother as he pointed his look at Elena.

Stefan bit his lower lip, and that's when Damon knew his brother is about to jump out of his skin. From the look on his face, Elena knew the same, and she knew the simple hand squeeze won't help this time. So instead of squeezing his hand, she buried her face in his arm, kissing his shoulder. When Stefan felt her lips on his bare skin, he could feel tingles going through his body, his brain sending electricity down his arm. And in that moment, he calmed down, because everything but Elena stopped existing. Nothing else mattered but the fact she's there next to him, kissing his arm, giving him much needed support and calming him down.

Damon was somewhat disappointed, but more than anything, he was surprised. He knew his brother very well, and he knew what he needs to say to pull Stefan's strings. He also knew that once Stefan gets mad, there is no turning back. So he was surprised, how this girl could calm his brother down and make everything alright with just locking her lips on his skin.

„Honey, is that her?" – Stefan could hear his mom calling from the kitchen.

She appeared in the hallway still wearing an apron around her waist. Their mother looked much younger than she actually was. Because of her cheerful nature, their father used to say. She had a shoulder length blonde hair and big, green eyes, the same as Stefan had. She had long legs and thin waist, and the smile on her face brightened the whole room.

When she saw Elena, she ran towards her, and took her in her arms, giving her one big hug, which made Elena let go of Stefan's hand. Elena smiled and put her hands on the woman's back.

„It's so nice to meet you Elena" – the woman said as she squeezed her in a hug.

„It's nice to meet you too, Mrs. Salvatore" – she replied.

„Nonsense, you can call me Anne. Mrs. Salvatore is my mother in law, and you don't want to meet her" – the woman said as she had let Elena go out of her hug, and both Stefan and Damon laughed at their mothers comment. Their grandma was a handful.

Anne had put her hands on Elena's arms, checking her out from head to toe. „You're so beautiful" – she said, and Elena blushed, tilting her head on the side. Stefan had noticed her blushing, so he smiled, because she would always do that when someone would compliment her. Anne turned her head around to look at Stefan. „And this one knows how to dress appropriately" – she cocked her eyebrow at her son before she had let go of Elena's arms.

Stefan smiled as he looked at Elena who was chuckling because she knew exactly what his mom means.

„Stefan, take your lady to the dining room, and I will call for your father" – she said as she started walking towards the kitchen.

Elena remembered Stefan using the word 'lady' when he defended her from Rory at his party. Stefan's eyes grew wider as his mom mentioned his father, and Damon noticed that. That's one matter he could sympathize about with his brother, and he knew how much his relationship with their father had hurt him, and he didn't want to play games when it came to that.

„Dining room is this way" – Damon said as he started walking in the direction of it.

Stefan took Elena by her hand and both of them started walking after Damon. When they entered the dining room, their father was already there, pouring himself a glass of whiskey.

Damon sat on the chair, glancing one moment at his brother, other at his father, interested how all of this will go down.

„Father" – Stefan coughed. His father took a glass of whiskey in his hand and turned around. The lines of his face were sharp, and he looked like a cold man. His eyes were dark, and there was no smile on his face. His posture was stiff. Damon inherited that from him, but Elena could not see the resemblance between Stefan and his father. She was grateful for that, because she had noticed Stefan got, and learned a lot, from his mom. „This is Elena, my girlfriend" – he said. His father started walking towards them. He stirred the drink in his glass and wiggled his lips. Stefan did not like the way he was looking at Elena, and he could feel Elena's hand squeezing his.

Elena slowly stretched out her free hand. Stefan had noticed it is shaking. Damon felt bad for her.

„Hello" – she said silently, her voice trembling.

Giuseppe looked down at her hand, and after few seconds of watching it, he shook her hand. „Pleasure, Elena. I'm Mr. Salvatore" – he said, not offering her to call him by his first name like Anna did.

Elena pulled her hand back. In that moment Anna came into the dining room, carrying plates and food in her hands. Stefan had pulled out a chair for Elena to sit on. Damon and Giuseppe looked at each other, and Anna smiled proudly at her son's behavior. Elena smiled at Stefan as she sat down on the chair.

„So Elena, what do your parents do for a living?" – Giuseppe asked while taking a sip of whiskey. Damon rolled his eyes. Typical of their father, checking out how much money she has. He did the same with Katherine when he met her, he remembered that clearly. He also remembered how Katherine looked back then. She was just a girl. She grew up so much since then. She transformed into a beautiful woman who knows what she wants and how to get it.

Elena cleared her throat. „My parents passed away two years ago" – she said with a husky voice.

„I'm so sorry to hear that dear" – Anna said with a sympathetic voice. Elena smiled and thanked her.

Her look turned back at Giuseppe who was watching her carefully. „Yes, terribly sorry" – he said when he caught his wife disapprovingly staring at him. „Are you thinking about college?" – he asked while taking another sip of whiskey.

Elena nodded. „I already sent my applications" – she said proudly. Stefan swalloved. He hasn't even started on his applications. He was sure he's getting a football scholarship, but he wanted to have a good back up plan. Also, he wasn't too eager to go to college. College meant going away, saying goodbye to everything and everyone. He had no problems with leaving his family home, but the thought of leaving Rebekah, Nik, and now Elena behind was not okay with him. Rebekah already got into Harvard on early admissions. Everyone were surprised, except Stefan. Rebekah didn't seem like a type who would get into Harvard, but the thing is, no one really knew Rebekah, not really. Not even Nik, not as well as Stefan. Nik is taking a year off, he's going to travel around the Europe. He had a feisty discussion over that with his mom, but in the end, he won. And him.. he is probably going to end in some God knows where college, playing for a college football team, maybe become a professional play, and his life will end by the time he's 35. Then he'll be without a job, draging himself around the house, with a beer in one hand and Oreo in another.

„And what is the college of your choice?" – Anna asked curiously.

„Sarah Lawrence" – Elena smiled. Stefan remembered her mentioning she already applied. She wants to be a writer, her mom urged her from a very young age to write, as soon as she showed an interest in it.

„You know, Elena is an excellent student, she's the second best in our class" – Stefan said proudly as he smiled at her. She remembered when they announced that over the speakerphone. She and Stefan didn't even know each other at the time, so she was surprised he had even remembered it.

„Well, one of you has to be" – his father snapped at him. Stefan jumped in his chair a little as his father raised the tone of his voice, and Damon fixated his look on Elena so he wouldn't miss her reaction. Her eyes simply widened at Giuseppe's words, but Damon could see glimpses of shock and anger behind them. He smiled in his mind because of that fact.

„Stefan has good grades considering his other responsibilities" – Elena said. And she talks, Damon thought. Stefan kicked her in the leg under the table, but she didn't care. She couldn't stand his father talking to him like that. Treating him like he's nothing, when he was her everything. Giuseppe raised his head to look at her. „He's lumping in Math a little" – she laughed – „But he's really good in History and English and Biology" – she looked at him with pride, love even, Damon would dare to say – „And his football trainings are frequent, especially now" – Elena shrugged.

There was an awkward silence in the room.

Giuseppe had put his arms on the table and looked at Elena. Stefan was scared of his reaction.

„You do know Stefan is most likely getting a football scholarship" – Giuseppe said.

Elena nodded.

Giuseppe looked at his son. „And you do know he wants to study Medicine?" – he said through his teeth.

Elena nodded again.

„And what do you think about that?"

Elena looked at Stefan and smiled when she caught his look fixated on her face.

„I think he should do whatever he wants to do."

Stefan reached for Elena's hand under the table and squeezed it in hers. Damon had noticed that, and so did Giuseppe. He leaned on the chair, smiled and took another sip of the whiskey.

The rest of the evening went smoothly. Around 10pm Elena said she should be going, out of courtesy. Stefan escorted her.

„So tomorrow my place?" – she cocked her eyebrow at him – „Aunt Jenna is dying to meet you" – she laughed out loud.

„Really?" – he wrapped his arms around her waist, pulling her closer to him – „Well, people usually do have that reaction when it comes to me" – he rubbed his nose against hers.

She giggled.

"Thank you" - he whispered into her ear.

"You're welcome" - she said, knowing exactly to what he's referring to.

He lowered his head and slowly pushed his lips against hers.

„Mmmm" – she murmured while he was kissing her – „Saying goodbye to you is getting harder every day" – he could feel her lips curving into a smile while they were pressed on his.

„You can always stay" – he squeezed her hips with both of his hands. She blushed under his touch. She pulled her head away from his.

„See you tomorrow" – she got on the tip of her toes and kissed him on the cheek before running to her car.

Stefan watched her awkwardly before he smiled, scratching the back of his neck. He closed the front door when he couldn't see her car in the distance anymore. When he came back to the dining room, Damon and father were already gone, so he decided to go and help his mom in the kitchen.

„Hello sweetie" – her face brightened when he came into the kitchen.

„I came to help" – he smiled while rolling up his sleeves. Anna knew there is no way he's going to take no for an answer, so she pointed him to the dirty dishes in the sink.

„She's lovely" – Anna said while putting the clean dishes in its place.

Stefan smiled. „She really is."

„Do you think she's the one?"

„Mom.." – Stefan laughed.

„What?" – she asked seriously.

Stefan looked at his mom who held a serious expression on her face. „How do you know someone is one?" – he asked curiously.

Anna smiled. „You simply do. You do not think about rights or wrongs, you do not spend sleepless nights asking yourself is this who you're supposed to be with. That person accepts you for who you are and supports you, and loves you when you least deserve it. That person is someone who walks in when the rest of the world walks out" – she said while looking at her son who had a confused expression on his face. „Maybe you're too young to know" – she waved her hand in his direction, and he sighed.

She smiled, took him by the hand and seated him on the chair. She sat on the chair across him.

„Close your eyes" – she demanded, and he listened. „Now, imagine yourself in 10 years. You have a career, you're on the path of becoming a world known surgeon. You have your whole future in front of you, and you want to start building your life. Car, house, kids, white picket fence. Can you see Elena standing next to you?" – she asked while holding her hands on Stefan's.

„Yes" – he smiled after successfuly placing Elena in his future.

„Then she's the one."

Stefan opened his eyes and smiled. „She's the one."


	14. Chapter 14

Elena ran down the stairs when she heard a doorbell ring. Jenna smiled when she saw her speeding in front of the kitchen door. She wished Elena would hurry up like that in the mornings so she doesn't have to spend her voice on yelling her name, telling her to get out of the bed.

Elena opened the front door and smiled when she saw Stefan standing on her front porch. He looked dashing. He was wearing a deep, blue sweater that was a perfect contrast to his washed out jeans. His hair was gelled up as usual, and his eyes were smiling alongside his lips. He was holding a bouquet of white lilies in his hand, which were her favorite flowers. She mentioned that to him in one occasion, not even hoping he would remember. That's what was so great about Stefan, he kept surprising her. Things she thought he wouldn't do, say or remember, he would. He would remember everything. His mind was like a sponge for every word that comes out of her mouth.

„For you" – he stretched out his hand.

She took the flowers from his hand and buried her face in the bouquet. She loved the smell of fresh, white lilies. She could still see waterdrops on their petals. She pulled a wide smile across her face as she raised her head. She had put her hand on his wrist and lead him inside, pulling him in for a kiss. His soft lips fell on hers, feeding his hungry soul, craving for more. He found himself wanting to be with her every waking moment. He hadn't felt like that with any of the other girls he's been with. He enjoyed their company, but when he wasn't with them, he didn't feel like he's feeling now. When Elena is not with him, he has a feeling like a part of him is missing. And when he's with her, he feels complete, like everything has fallen into place. He wanted to spend every second of every day with her, and the wish of spending the night with her grew in him as days passed by. But the thing is, it wasn't about sex. He remembered the beginning of his relationship with Katherine. He wanted her. He was driven by lust. But with Elena, it wasn't about the sex, it was about the moment. He wondered how she tastes like, and how would the skin of her body feel under his, and how would she breathe, and would her touch made his skin burn at that moment more than in any other.

„Thank you" – she whispered after detaching her lips from his. His lips curved into a smile. „Come on, aunt Jenna is dying to meet you" – she took Stefan's hand into hers and started walking in the direction of the kitchen.

They entered the kitchen and saw aunt Jenna standing behind the counter, chopping tomatoes. She dropped the knife on the chopping board as soon as she noticed Elena and Stefan entering the kitchen.

„Jenna, this is Stefan" – Elena said as she lead Stefan closer to Jenna.

Jenna smiled at her niece before stretching her hand out to Stefan. „It's a pleasure to meet you" – Jenna smiled as Stefan shook her hand.

„See, I told you he exists" – Elena said as she took out crystal vase from the kitchen cabinet and filled it with water to put the flowers in.

She felt two pair of eyes watching her. She slightly turned her head around only to catch Stefan looking at her confused, and Jenna furrowing her brows, her lips curving into a devilish smile. Stefan coughed and smiled at her, as she blushed before turning her head around.

„Elena told me so much about you" – Stefan scratched the back of his neck.

Jenna went back to chopping tomatoes. „Well, she does talk a lot" – she glanced at her niece who was spreading white lilies in the crystal vase. Elena looked at her and frowned.

„Jeremy, get your ass in here" – Jenna called for hew nephew who was playing video games in the living room.

They could all hear Jeremy huffing all the way from the living room. „One does not simply pause in the middle of Black Ops" – he yelled from the living room, making Jenna roll her eyes.

As soon as Jeremy mentioned Black Ops, Stefan's eyes grew wider. Elena had noticed that and rolled her eyes in the same way Jenna did seconds earlier.

„Go" – she said to Stefan who was practically shaking in his place. He smiled at her before he disappeared from the room.

Elena released a silent giggle before taking a knife in her hands and helping aunt Jenna with chopping tomatoes.

„You never told me he's so hot" – Jenna said as she looked at Elena smiling like an idiot.

„Jenna!" – Elena yelled through a giggle, but she did not raise her head, she did not want to make eye contact with Jenna because she was afraid she would burst into deeper laughter. Jenna could see her blushing behind the hair that was falling over her cheeks.

Eventually they finished the dinner, settled the table and dragged the boys into the dinning room.

„So" – Jenna said as she took a sip of the wine from her glass – „How did the two of you meet?" – she asked although she very well knew the answer to that question.

„Well" – Jeremy started talking – „She was tutoring him in Math. In the beginning, she didn't like him so much, and he was daiting Katherine, but as the time passed by, her feelings towards him started to change, and now here we are" – Jeremy said in a girly voice while fighting with the chopped tomatoes on his plate.

Stefan chuckled and Elena looked at him, confused. Jenna kicked him in the leg under the table, but he did not do anything except smirk.

„How do you know all of that?" – Elena raised her eyebrow at her brother.

„I read it in your diary" – Jeremy smirked at her.

Elena parted her lips, and everyone at the table could see her blushing. Jenna thought she's going to explode.

„Stay out of my room, you pervert!" – Elena started kicking him in the arm.

Both Stefan and Jenna laughed at them, but after some time, Stefan decided to stop her. He was feeling sorry for the kid.

**xxxx**

After the dinner Elena escorted Stefan out, helped Jenna with the dishes, and silently went up to her room. When Jeremy went upstairs to check is she still mad at him, he caught her sitting on the bed, looking at the picture in her hand with tears in her eyes.

„Elena?" – he said with a husky voice as he stepped inside of her room – „What are you doing?" – he asked as he glanced at the picture she was holding in her hands. It was a picture of their mom and dad.

She raised her head to look at him. „Nothing. Just thinking" – she forced herself to smile. „Everything is happening so fast, and I'm so confused" – a tear fell down her cheek and disappeared behind her lips.

Jeremy sat next to his sister, put an arm around her shoulder and pulled her closer to him.

„Aren't you happy? You seem happy with Stefan" – Jeremy stated.

A smiled appeared on her face at the mention of Stefan's name. „I'm happy. And that's the problem. They're dead, and I'm happy. It seems like I'm doing something wrong" – Elena sobbed as she buried her face in Jeremy's arms, soaking his shirt with her tears. „Do you ever wish I died instead of them" – she asked.

Jeremy shocked by his sister's question took her by the shoulders and lifted her up. Her face was red and puffy.

„No" – he said seriously with a certain amount of sharpness in his voice – „There is nothing wrong with being happy. Mom and dad would want you to be happy" – he cleared Elena's face from tears with his sleeve.

She smiled at him before her head falling back on his chest.

„They would be proud of you" – he said silently before kissing the top of her head.

**xxxx**

Stefan was standing in a crowded hallway, leaning against Elena's locker, waiting for her to come out of the classroom.

„Stefan?" – he heard a voice coming from behind him, a voice he hasn't heard in a while. He turned around and saw Katherine standing in front of him. She had her cheerleading uniform on, but her skirt seemed longer than before. He thought she had put it back to the original size, because Katherine would always pull it more up. She was more tanned than before, which was weird, because as far as he knew, Katherine hated tanning. Her hair didn't look as hard anymore, her curls were light and fluffy, and there wasn't too much make up on her face. He could see the true lines of her face and her natural, brown eyes. She wasn't anything like the girl he was with, but the girl he fell in love with.

But he knew he doesn't have anything to do with the sudden change he saw in her. Or maybe he did. Maybe the lack of him in her did.

„Katherine" – he gasped at the appearance in front of him.

She smiled because of the shock on his face. She knew she looked different. She felt different.

He hasn't seen her for a long time. He had seen her few times around the school, or glimpses of her. He was avoiding her mostly, and sometimes it seemed she had been avoiding him too.

„So, how have you been?" – she asked innocently, twirling the books in her hands.

Stefan scratched the back of his neck. „Excellent" – he said through light laughter.

She bit her lower lip and nodded. „I've heard you're with Elena now" – a small smile appeared in the corners of her lips.

„Yeah" – he answered simply.

„Do you think.." – she started as soon as the word skipped his lips – „Do you think you could ever forgive him?" – she raised her head to look him in the eyes. He noticed few tears grouping in her eyes.

„Katherine.." – he said her name with a husky voice, letting her know he's not planning to discuss recent occurrances in their life with her.

„I'm not asking you to forgive me. But he's your brother" – she squeezed the books in her hands closer to her body – „I never meant any of this to happen. But you and me, we were unhappy for a long time. And neither of us said anything. And he was simply there" – tears started streaming down her face.

He glanced at people walking past by them, interested in what's going on, but too afraid to stop and find out. Everyone knew what happened between Stefan and Katherine, but no one talked about it. Katherine didn't seem to care about people watching them, which was weird, because Katherine hated public scenes that included her.

„Do you love him?" – he dared to ask.

She twitched. She wasn't comfortable with answering that question, so she inhaled deeply while looking him in the eyes. „Yes" – she answered, patentily waiting for his reaction.

He bit his lower lip and lowered his head down. „It will take time" – he said, not planning to raise his head up. He had no strength to look her in the eyes.

She noticed that, so she simply nodded and walked away.

He was surprised. She did not ask for forgiveness. She asked for forgiveness for Damon. He could feel there was something different about her. And he knew it wasn't his fault, for her acting the way she did. They were a couple of kids who played with fire. They thought they were in love, but they didn't know the first thing about love. They mixed love and lust, and that burned them deeply. The two of them were happy for a while, while that lust was enough to maintain their happiness, but as soon as their minds and souls started craving for more, they had nothing else to give to each other. Because they simply weren't meant to be.

„Katherine" – he yelled after her.

She turned around in curiosity.

„I forgive you" – he said.

She smiled at him, cleared the tears from her cheeks with the palm of her hand, nodded and started walking away.

Maybe Damon was good for her. He seemed to have a good effect on her. Maybe everything turned out how it was supposed to. Maybe Katherine supposed to be with Damon all along, and he was supposed to be with Elena. He did not feel angry anymore, and it surprised him.

„Guess who?" – he felt two little hands wrapping around his head from the back, covering his eyes. He recognized Elena's voice, so he had put his hands on hers and intertwined their fingers.

„Hmm, I don't know" – he took her hands and lowered them down from his eyes and kissed the top of her fingers. He turned around with her hands on his lips, still keeping his eyes closed – „But I'm hoping it's a giant double stuffed Oreo dipped in white chocolate and sprinkles" – he smiled.

She pulled her hands from his and cupped his face, pulling him down for a kiss. His lips met hers, and he could feel her pulling him deeper into a passionate kiss. She pulled her fingers through his hair and scratched the back of his neck with the tips of her fingers.

„Well, that for sure is not an Oreo" – he said when she detached her lips away from his and rested his forehead on hers. She laughed lightly.

„Firstly, ewwww" – they heard a voice coming from behind them. Stefan opened his eyes and saw Rebekah standing there, leaning against a locker – „Secondy, why does she get to touch your hair? You go ballistic whenever I come near it" – Rebekah crossed her arms on her chest and frowned.

Stefan laughed and pulled Elena closer to him, kissing the top of her head. Rebekah rolled her eyes at them.

„So, do you have any plans for today?" – Rebekah cocked her eyebrow at both of them.

„It's our one month anniversary" – Elena smiled as she cuddled up against Stefan's chest.

„And Elena begged me to take her for some Oreo cake" – Stefan smirked.

„Yeah, I'm the one who did the begging" – Elena said saicastically as she rolled her eyes.

Rebekah laughed at the sight of them. They were too adorable for words, in her eyes.

„Enjoy" – she winked at them. She kissed Elena's cheek and tapped Stefan on the shoulder in the pass. Both of them smiled at her and went into the other direction.

**xxxx**

When Stefan came home, he was smiling from ear to ear, like an idiot. He loved every moment he spent with Elena. He really didn't care where did they spend it, or how, the only thing that mattered is that two of them were together.

They went to Maria's and ordered two slices of Oreo cake alongside apple juice. Stefan personally liked orange juice better, but apple was Elena's favorite juice flavor, and he would do everything to please her. They talked about the future, and college, and what comes afterwards. About family and memories, and for the whole time, she kept playing with the fingers of the hand he kept spread out on the table.

He came into the kitchen to grab a glass of water and saw Damon sitting by the kitchen counter, reading papers. He was in his suit, and he looked tired. His head was half hanging from his neck, and he did not even try to raise it when he heard someone's footsteps on the kitchen floor.

„I saw Katherine today" – Stefan said as he grabbed a glass from the kitchen cabinet – „She looks different."

Damon threw the papers on the counter and put his hands on the sides of his head, rubbing his forehead with both of his thumbs. „Can we not do this now?" – he asked silently, but clearly annoyed.

Stefan poured a bottle of cold water from the fridge in a glass. „I'm not trying to start a fight, Damon" – he said calmly while taking the glass in his hand – „I'm trying to tell you I forgive you."

Damon raised his look at his brother with a surprised expression on his face. He was confused and stunned by the words he heard coming from his brother's mouth.

Stefan noticed the shock and confusion on his brother's face, so he came closer to him. „Look, people make mistakes. And that's okay. Things turned out okay. Katherine makes you happy, Elena makes me happy. Not saying what you two did is right, I'm simply saying things fell into its place. It's sad it happened the way it did, but better that than never. I don't want this to tear us anymore."

Damon did not know how to respond. Stefan had caught him in a bad time, when all of the strength has already been sucked out of his body, so he simply blankly stared at him. Stefan smiled and tapped his brother on the shoulder before heading upstairs.

**xxxx**

**I apologize for the lack of Stelena in this chapter, but I feel like their families are important part of their life and those are people who made them happiest and saddest while growing up, and they deserve a part in the story. But I can promise you there will be a lot of Stelena development in the upcoming chapters ;) Enjoy, and thank you for reading.**

**Lots of love.**


	15. Chapter 15

Love.

Love comes in all shapes and sizes.

There are different kinds of love.

But when you're young, when you're growing up, when you have your doubts, when you think you're not good enough, when you think no one wants you, when you think other people are better than you, love the man feels for a woman and vice versa is the most appreciated kind of love.

First love is one of the life's most memorable experiences. Sweaty palms, butterflies, heavy breathing, not being able to find right words at the right time and all those other things you hear in movies and cheesy love songs are true.

You never forget the first person who loved you more than a friend, less than a family, and accepted you the way you are. You never forget the first person you shared your dreams and hopes with, the person who knew all of your secrets and who could tell how you're feeling just by looking at your face.

But when you're young, you mistake a lot of other feelings for love. Lust. Infatuation. You get lost in the physical kind of love that you forgot to think with your head and love with your heart.

But when you remember to do so, there's nothing better in the world. Everything else stops existing, and you have a feeling like you're on the cloud nine, and nothing can shake you off it.

All of them met up at Stefan's place. His father was on some business trip again, and his mom was visiting her sister, so he had the whole house to himself, which wasn't an unusual situation for Stefan, since his parents were gone a lot. Damon left somewhere too, and although he knew he's probably with Katherine, he did not want to think about it. He wasn't ready to invite them to hang out with the rest of the crowd because what they did hasn't healed yet. He will probably always remember what they did, and how much it had hurt, and at some level, it will keep him from having the same relationship with them he had before.

Caroline was curled up next to Nik, crying her eyes out. They were watching The Notebook. Again. It was Caroline's favorite movie, and if she doesn't make you watch it at least hundred times, she doesn't consider you a friend. Nik was fighting to stay awake while holding teary Caroline in his arms. Her clinging to his shirt and whispering 'wait for this part' probably helped him stay awake, although Elena could see his eyelids closing in few occasions, when Caroline was too distracted with what was happening on the screen.

Rebekah was sitting across them, rolling her eyes at them every now and then, but sometimes, Elena would catch her staring at the screen, her full attention fixated on what's going on in the movie. Rebekah usually acted tough, like none of this affects her, like she doesn't need or want anybody, but in the end of the day she was a girl, and she wanted what every other girl wanted. Stefan told her Rebekah's life is not as easy as she makes it out to be in front of other people. But she does not want anyone to take pity of her, so she doesn't let anyone in on her real situation.

Stefan came back from the bathroom. Elena was sure he only went there so he could skip a part of the movie. When he came back, his look fell on the coffee table and an empty plate on it. He furrowed his brows, making them come closer together.

„This is getting out of control" – he raised his voice, making all of the heads in the room turn to him – „Who ate the last Oreo?"

His look instantly fell on Rebekah, who was shaking her head with a serious face expression.

Elena raised her hand in the air with a smile on her face. He could not believe it. He was betrayed but none other than his girlfriend. He had a shocked expression on his face. She lowered her head down so he couldn't see the smile on her face, because she always found it funny how he freaked out over Oreos, in any kind of situation. Everyone were ready to hear another speech about how no one eats his Oreos, especially not the last one, because the last one is usually the most delicious one. Both Nik and Rebekah heard that speech at least hundred times in their lives, Rebekah more than Nik since she knows Stefan longer, and his Oreo addiction started even before she met him.

But Stefan's face went back to normal and he only sighed. „Well, did you at least eat it properly?" – he asked while sitting on the sofa next to her.

She raised her head and nodded. „Twist, lick, dip, eat" – she said proudly.

He smiled, put his arm around her waist and pulled her closer to him. „That's my girl" – she giggled as he kissed her neck.

Rebekah and Nik looked at each other. Nik rolled his eyes, but Rebekah couldn't believe it. Whenever she eats his Oreos, especially the last one, she gets a silent treatment and a speech about how what she did was wrong. Few times he even got her to apologize to him, which is, looking on it now, the dumbest thing she ever did in her life.

„I can't believe this" – she threw her hands in the air with annoyed expression on her face.

Elena laughed out loud as Stefan tickled her skin on her stomach under her shirt. He continued kissing her neck, and she closed her eyes after cupping his face and pulling him in for a kiss.

Watching two of them happy made Rebeakah more teary than the movie they were watching ever could. She knew how Stefan felt while he was with Katherine, she knew he blamed himself for everything that happened between them, and how unhappy he was. The truth is, she hasn't seen him happy like that with anyone other than Elena. And she was glad to see him happy, because he deserved it.

Nik smiled at the sight of them, because like his sister, he was glad to see his friend finally happy as he was the day when he met him. The day before Katherine happened, and everything she brought with herself to his already not so suit life.

„The only thing stronger than your cravings for Oreos is your love for this one girl" – Nik said through laughter before turning his head around because Caroline was tapping on his chest to pay attention to the movie.

Elena's body stiffened a little as he pronounced the word love. Not because she felt uncomfortable with it, but because she didn't know how is Stefan going to react to it. But he only wrapped his arms around her waist thighter and pulled her closer to him until she completely fell on his chest, as he pressed his lips on the top of her head.

They watched the rest of the movie in silence.

When the movie ended, Caroline tried to explain to everyone that's the best love story ever written, and everyone had to agree so she would stop talking. Everyone loved Caroline, but she doesn't love, she obsess' over. The only one who paid attention to Caroline's words fully was Nik. Because he loved her, he loved her more than he ever loved anyone before. He loved how perky and bubbly she was, how opinionated and passionate she was, the way she cared about the people she loved and people in general, but what he loved the most about her is the way she loved him, and how gentle she was with him. When the school ends, he's going to take a gap year and travel around the Europe, and she's going with him. There is no chance in hell he would let her slip away through his fingers. When she stopped talking, she inhaled, trying to catch her breath, so he laughed lightly at her, pulled her closer to him and kissed her cheek.

„Anyway" – Rebekah smiled at Caroline – „Stefan's birthday is soon" – she cocked her eyebrow at her friend.

Stefan rolled his eyes as he remembered his last birthday. It was a disaster. He got so drunk he barely remembers the night. He remembers Damon laughing at him and Rebekah while they were cleaning the house before his parents come home, though.

Stefan nodded. „And we're going to have a small get together" – he said as he looked at Rebekah seriously while holding Elena in his arms.

Rebekah shook her head. „No can do Salvatore" – she said through laughter – „Me and Elena already prepared everything and sent out the invitations."

Stefan lowered his look down at Elena who was blushing.

„You're a part of this?" – he asked, raising his eyebrow at her as soon as she caught his look.

She smiled at him. „Mhm" – she said shyly before rasing her head from his chest a kissing him on the cheek – „I'll take dishes to the kitchen" – she wriggled out of his hug and jumped from the sofa on her feet, taking dishes from the coffee table in her hands.

„I'll help" – Rebekah said as she picked up three dirty glasses from the floor and followed Elena to the kitchen.

Elena turned the water on and put the dishes in the sink. Rebekah appeared behind her and put glasses in the sink, cramping it up. She sat on the counter next to the sink and watched Elena as she washed the dishes.

„So" – she said nervously, locking her eyes on Elena's face – „How are things going with you and Stefan?" – she asked like she doesn't already know an answer to that question.

Elena smiled as she glanced at Rebekah. „Perfect" – she said, but she wondered did Stefan say anything to her, something negative maybe, although she didn't know what that negative thing would be, since things were really perfect. There was no other word for it.

„Can I ask you something?" – she asked silently. Elena could feel Rebekah's eyes locked on her face.

„Sure" – Elena said as she turned the water off.

Rebekah coughed to clear her throat. „Why haven't you slept with him yet?" – she asked with a husky voice.

Elena frowned as she cleaned the dishes from water.

„Are you scared?" – Rebekah asked when she saw Elena is not going to give her an answer to the previous question. Maybe she didn't know herself.

The lines of Elena's face relaxed. „No, I'm not scared" – she said through a light laughter.

„Then what?" – Rebekah raised her voice, curiosity taking over her.

Elena sighed as she had put the last glass back in the kitchen cabinet. „I don't want things to change" – she looked at Rebekah with a sad expression on her face – „Stefan told me that the last months of their relationship all him and Katherine did was.. have sex" – she swalloved, and Rebekah could tell it's hard for her to talk about that. Or to think about that. She felt guilty for pushing her in that direction. „I don't want sex to ruin what we have. I don't want our relationship go downhill like theirs did" – she lowered her head and blushed like her wishes are something to be ashamed of.

Rebekah hopped from the counter and stood in front of Elena. „Sweetie, their relationship didn't go downhill because of sex" – Rebekah had put her hands on Elena's shoulders – „Their relationship went downhill because they had nothing to say to each other" – she smiled at Elena.

Elena raised her head and smiled back at Rebekah. Rebekah had put an arm around her shoulder and pulled her in for a hug.

„I know Stefan for a long time" – she said – „Sometimes I think I know him better than he knows himself" – she laughed out loud – „And the happiest I've seen him is with you."

**xxxx**

When Rebekah, Nik and Caroline went home, Stefan and Elena went to his room.

Stefan couldn't wait to have some alone time with her. He loved spending time with his friends, but alone time with Elena was more enjoyable than watching The Notebook for second time this week.

As soon as he locked the doors behind their friends, he turned around and cupped Elena's face with both of his hands and kissed her passionately. He kissed her so hard she had a feeling someone wangled the ground under her feet. She held on to him while he was kissing her like she's holding on to dear life. He went for her neck, which would always make her giggle. His lips tickled a spot on her neck, but when he moved a little bit down, a pleasure would wash over her whole body, making her tremble under his touch. He picked her up in his arms and she wrapped her legs around his waist. She pulled her fingers through his soft hair and went back to kissing his lips. He carried her upstairs. In his arms, she was as light as a feather. He had put her on the bed, softly, and placed himself on top of her. He kissed her lips, then went down on her neck, removing the sleeves from her shoulders so he could plant his kisses there too. She could feel her body getting warmer and warmer with every second that passed them by. She wanted to be his. She wanted to give herself over to him completely.

But not now. Not yet.

He could feel her body stiffen as he started going lower on her body, and that was his que to go back up. He did not want make her do anything she didn't want to do, or something she wasn't ready for. He kissed her lips one more time and then laid next to her, putting his hand under her body and pulling her closer. Her head fell on his chest, and she stretched her hand out around his body.

„Are you mad at me?" – she asked with her sad puppy voice, voice she knew he couldn't resist – „Because of the party" – she added.

He laughed. „I could never be mad at you" – he kissed the top of her head – „But you have to promise you will take care of me" – he said as he started pulling his fingers over the bare skin of the arm she was wrapping around him.

She pressed her lips on his chest, and he could feel them forming into a smile through a thin fabric of his shirt. „I will always take care of you" – she said silently, like she doesn't want anyone but them to hear her words.

Stefan smiled. He was so lucky to have her in his life. This person who always had right words for the current situation, person who made him weak and strong at the same time, someone who made him smile when he had no reasons to smile at all. A person who stood up for him, and who stood next to him. Everyone should have someone like that in their lives. Because this was the girl he could love. Because this was the girl he loves.

„I talked to Damon" – Stefan said before sighing loudly.

„And?" – Elena asked curiously.

„I told him I forgive him. I hated him for what he did, I hated him for a lot of things he did, and I couldn't live like that anymore. I didn't want to live like that anymore. Because.." – he stopped like he's afraid to finish the sentence, like the end of it will change everything.

„Because of what?" – she asked more curious than before, cuddling up to him.

„Because of you. Because of how happy you make me. Because I love you" – he finally said. He had a feeling stone has been lifted from his chest after he pronounced those words. Because he did, he loved her. He had a feeling he had always loved her, and that he will always love her. She changed his life, she changed his whole world, and day by day, she still is. The change in him happened slowly, he almost didn't even notice it, not until he could feel different. When he's around he, he feels worthy, he feels like he's a better man.

„I love you, Elena" – he repeated those words with a husky voice.

She thought she's dreaming. She wanted to pinch herself to prove to herself that she's wide awake. She lifted her head from his chest and looked at him in awe.

„I told you not to fall in love with me" – she said seriously as she looked into his eyes. His face adapted a scared expression. She could see it in his eyes. „Now I'll have to kill you" – she smirked at him as she moved her face closer to his. He furrowed his brows in confusion. She gave him a peck on the lips. „I love you too" – she said while keeping her lips close to his.

„You do?" – he asked, surprised.

„Yes" – she said as she pressed her lips on his – „I love you, I love you, I love you" – he could feel her words on his lips, going down his throat, becoming a part of who he is, of who he always wanted to be.

He wrapped his arms around her. „Come here, beautiful" – he pulled her on top of him. For the first time, she didn't protest to his words. She had let him call her beautiful, because she felt beautiful. Because he had loved her.

She kissed his lips. Again. And again. And again. She kissed them for hundred times before jumping from the bed.

„Where are you going?" – he whined.

She laughed at the tone of his voice. „To get these" – she took out few papers from her bag and jumped on the bed next to him.

„I thought you already finished and sent your college applications" – he cocked his eyebrow at her.

„Oh, I did" – she grabbed a pen from the table – „These are your applications" – she had put papers and a pen on his chest.

He took the papers in his hands and sat up. „Elena, you don't need applications for a football scholarship" – he laughed out loud.

She rolled her eyes. „I know. You're applying for other colleges" – she took the pen and one of the papers from his hand and wrote something down before giving it back to him.

„Harvard?" – he asked shocked. „I have no chance in hell of getting into Harvard" – he looked at her seriously.

„Yes, you do" – she told him encouragingly – „Look Stefan, I have no idea what will happen in the future, or will we be a part of each other's life in ten years from now. But whatever happens, I want you to be happy. I want you to be happy now and in the future, and you're not going to achieve that by fulfilling your fathers wishes. This is your life, and you're going to do whatever makes you happy, and if you want to be a doctor, then you'll do everything in your power to become a doctor, and I will help you in that. And if you do not succeed, which won't happen, you'll have your football scholarship waiting for you" – she explained determined.

He kept looking her in the eyes, asking himself the same questions he asked moments ago, how did he get so lucky to have her in his life? Because she's the best thing that ever happened to him.

He had put a palm of his hand on her cheek, and she closed her eyes as she leaned her head next to it. „You're an angel" – he moved his head closer to hers and kissed her lips. She smiled at him as she kissed him back.

„Come on now, these applications won't write by themselves" – he said.

She gave him a kiss on the cheek as he started filling the applications, one by one. It took him almost the whole night to finish the applications. When he was done, he looked down and saw her sleeping next to him. He smiled at her and kissed her on the cheek before turning the lights off and covering her with a blanket.

„You'll never understand exactly how much I love you" – he whispered before putting his arm around her.

And somewhere in her dreams, she had heard him.

**xxxx**

**A/N: Just because I'm not following the usual storyline of making either Damon or Katherine villains who want to separate him doesn't mean they won't have their problems.**


	16. Chapter 16

„Wake up" – Stefan heard a sweet and silent voice invading his dreams. He could feel someone's breath on his face and the weight of someone's body on his, but he was too out of it to care or to find it alarming. The whole thing seemed like a dream to him. Maybe he was having one of those dreams again, the ones where Elena is wearing a nurse uniform, waking him up to scrub his body with a soft, wet sponge and.. yeah, the rest is clear. He would have those kind of dreams including Elena often, too often maybe. Sometimes he would have them while he's awake. He wiggled his body on the warm, comfortable bed, and the body on his wiggled with him.

„Come on, birthday boy" – he could hear the same voice again, this time the voice had stick in his ears a little while longer than the last time. She could feel someone's lips scraping next to his, and the fingers of someone's hand intertwining with his. Then, he could feel the person pulling their body up, and the next thing he heard was the box opening. He knew that sound very well. It was like hearing the gates of Heaven opening. The person started waving something above his face, and the familiar scent started going up his nose, waking up his mind, making him remember what exactly was lingering above his face.

He slowly opened his sleepy eyelids and saw Elena sitting on him, waving an Oreo above his face. He had put his hands on her legs and felt her bare skin, the feeling which could wake his body out from a coma. She had a wide smile on her face while waving an Oreo above his lips. He opened his eyes widely and returned her the same smile. He pulled his hands up her legs, meeting her hips, which made her jump a little on him out of the pleassure his touch was sending through her body. He pulled his hands under her shirt and squeezed the flesh of her hips with his fingers. She lowered the Oreo on his lips, and when he was about to bite it, she brought it up to her lips and bit it herself. He looked at her in shock, not being able to believe she would do something like that to him. She grinned and lowered her lips on his neck. He closed his eyes and put his arms around her, pulling his fingers over her back.

„Happy Birthday, boyfriend" – she mumbled while kissing his neck.

„Thank you, beautiful" – he said through laughter.

She was planting her kisses on the spots on his neck she knew would turn him on. He squeezed his arms around her body more tightly, pulling her closer to him.

When he felt like he can't take it anymore, when he felt like he's going to explode, he rolled her over and placed himself on top of her, putting his hands next to her head, supporting himself so she doesn't have to feel the weight of his body on hers. He did not leave space between their bodies, though. Their bodies were grining against each other as he was kissing her passionately. He kissed her like he's sucking all of the life's force out of her, like his existance depends on the intensity of their kiss. Elena's kisses with the taste of Oreo, the best thing in the world. She had put her hand on the back of his neck, pulling him deeper for the kiss. He was pulling his fingers up and down her body, and she had a feeling like her body reached the temperature that is not normal for a human being. She was bending under his body like a ruber, feeling like her heart is going to pop out from her chest, but not being able to stop what was going on between them.

Eventually, she had to detach her lips from his due to the lack of air in her lungs. He had lowered his head on her body and she could feel his lips curving into a smile against her collar bone.

„Dress up" – she said as she sat straight up on him – „Me and your mom made you a birthday cake" – she jumped off him, grabbed him by the wrist and tried to pull him out of the bed.

„You contributed in the kitchen?" – he cocked his eyebrow at her as he stood up in front of her. He knew Elena is a bad cook, she told him that herself. She was clumpsy and everything she cooked, or baked for that matter, tasted like sand.

„Yes" – she said proudly, pulling a wide smile across her face.

„I hope my birthday is not going to end in blood, then" – he smirked, teasing her.

She rolled her eyes at him and punched him in his chest. He could barely feel her fist on his chest, and she knew that, but he acted like she had hurt him anyway, by putting his hand on the place where her fist met his chest.

That made her smile. „I'm only going to let it slide this time because it's your birthday" – she raised her eyebrow before pushing a blue shirt in his hands. She winked at him, turned around and walked out of the room.

**xxxx**

His house was cramped with people. Not like it usually was, and he was thankful for that, since Rebekah and Elena promissed to keep the list short and not to invite people he doesn't know personally. He always felt strange with having unknown people in his house, even if it was a party, but he never said anything. That's what Stefan usually did, he accepted the situation as it is and kept his feelings and opinions buried deep inside of him. The only one who had the hold of them was Rebekah because she knew him too well for his sake. He started speaking out his opinions and wishes around the time Elena came into his life. He changed him for the better, or at least she inspired him to be better. Or maybe he was that man all along, her presence only made those good traits of his pop out more. Whatever it was, he was better when he was around her, and he felt better with having her in his life. He could not imagine how would it feel to lose her, and he did not want to. He vowed to himself he will do everything possible to make her stay in his life for a very long time.

The cake his mom and Elena made did not kill anyone, although when Elena left his mom told him she likes Elena very much, but that she should not be let into the kitchen, ever, which made Stefan laugh every time he would remember his mom's words. His mom promissed him she will remove herself out of the house before his friends arrive, which he did not find necessary, but she insisted. His father was out of the town anyway. He left him a birthday card with some money in it before he left. Stefan could not remember the last time his father wished him a happy birthday personally.

Damon asked can Katherine come, and since Stefan didn't have much time to think, he instantly said yes. The more he thought about it, the more he thought Katherine being there is a bad idea, although he did not have a heart to say it to his brother. But in the end, he did not regret it. When he saw them kissing, he did not feel anything. Well, he did feel something, but that something was happiness. He was happy for them, because when Katherine walked through that door and saw Damon, the look in her eyes was never brighter, and the smile on her face was never wider. And the way Damon greeted her, he reminded Stefan of the person he once was. He could see glimpses of his brother, of the brother he loved and looked up to.

Elena was keeping an eye on the number of bottles in Stefan's hand, like she promissed. Eventually, Rebekah started the game of truth or dare, which ended quickly when Caroline was dared to kiss Damon, and Nik jumped in between them like a mad man, saying no one kisses his girlfriend but him. It was actually a pretty cute and funny sight, and it made everyone in the room giggle, except Rebekah. She rolled her eyes. Few minutes later she started a round of spin the bottle in which no one seemed too interested in. So after she had a couple more drinks, she suggested them to play 'I never..', which everyone accepted with excitement.

He never played that game sober, and now he knew why. That game is not supposed to play while you're sober. The things he heared and remembered about the people in the room made him want to put a bullet in his brain.

A minute before midnight, his teammates poured a bucket of condoms on him. They did that to every member of the football team on their birthday. Stefan almost forgot about the tradition as it was his birthday and he did not have a task to buy a year supply of condoms. He didn't even know why they did what they did, he was always drunk while doing so and it was always fun, pouring a full bucket of condoms on someone. They were teenagers with their hormones racing through their bodies faster than a plane cutting the air while flying.

„Because there is nothing better than birthday sex" – one of them said as he tapped Stefan's shoulder before sitting back in the circle.

Elena was trying to hide an awkward smile that appeared on her face. She did not want anyone to think Stefan is not sleeping with her. Not because she thought it bugged him, she knew he doesn't give a crap about what other people think, but she knew how those guys could be. But Rebekah noticed how uncomfortable she was, so she removed her look from Elena to not make her more uncomfortable by staring at her. Stefan, in the other hand, was too scared and too embarrassed to look Elena in the eyes.

His house was cleared of people around 3am. Elena stayed over to help Stefan clean the house, although the mess was not too big. Stefan did not want his mom to come back home in the morning and find the house in the state it was when all the people left.

„Stefan?" – Elena said his name through a whisper as she cleaned the last bowl and put it back in its place.

„Yeah?" – he said with the same tone of voice.

She lowered her head like she was embarrassed of what she's about to say. „Did you throw away those condoms?"

Stefan bit his lower lip out of guiltiness as he glanced at the bucket full of condoms. „Nope, I have put them back in the bucket. But I can throw them away if you mind them" – he scratched the back of his neck.

She walked over to the bucket and picked up one of the condoms from the top of the pile. She started spinning it around with her fingers. She walked to him and took his hand into hers.

„I do not want to throw it away" – she had put the condom in his hand and raised her head only to meet his confused, and partially shocked face.

„Elena, if this is about what those guys said.." – he said as he locked his eyes no hers.

She shook her head slowly. „No" – she said silently. „This is about how you buy extra large popcorn when we go to the movies because you know I will eat mine before the movie starts. This is about how you pull a blanket over me every time I fall asleep. This is about how you ask me do I want the last Oreo although both of us know you want to eat it desperately. This is about how you remove the strains of my hair from my forehead every time I'm lazy to do so myself" – she raised her voice as she looked deeply into his eyes, making him maintain eyecontact with her. „This is about how you defended me at your party. This is about you always being honest with him, and this is about me wanting to be honest with you. And this is about how you did not want to preassure me into having sex and how you were always the one to stop when you felt things got too far" – she got on the tips of her toes and gave him a peck on the lips – „But mostly, this is about how much I love you" – she got his hand into hers and kissed it.

He had put his finger under her chin to raise up her lowered head. She moved her head as he kept pushing his finger up, and when he could look into her eyes, he lowered his head and kissed her. And he kept kissing her, and kissing her, and kissing her. And they started moving, they started walking upstairs, but their lips never parted. He pushed the doors of his bedroom wide open and led her inside. It was dark, but he did not turn on the lights.

„Are you sure you want to do this?" – he asked her while kissing the bare skin of her shoulders.

„Yes" – she nodded. She was sure. In this moment she was sure than she will ever be.

He smiled at her and kissed her on the forehead. She smiled back as she crumbled his shirt with her fingers, pulling it up, removing it from his body. She had put her hands on his chest, feeling his strong torso, and that feeling made her feel safe. It made her feel like there's nothing to be afraid of. He tucked her hair behind her ear, pushing it back so he can kiss her shoulder. She had put his fingers on the zipper of her dress and started pulling it down slowly. She was like a shaking leaf in his hands, and he could feel her body tensing.

He knew she was scared. He always knew she would be scared. This was a new territory for her, and she did not know what to expect. She did not know how will it feel during or after, and it was perfectly normal that she's scared, he knew that. But he also knew it's his duty to make her feel everything but scared. It was his duty to let her know she's safe with him, that everything is okay, and that he would never do anything to hurt her. So he found that spot on her neck and started kissing it, and soon enough, he could feel her body relaxing. She was free of tension and she melted in his hands like ice cream melts in the sun. Her body was washed with pleasure, and she asked herself if he can make her feel so good by only kissing her, how good will it feel when they finally do the deed.

Her dress fell from her body on the ground and he moved his hands down her hips, wrapping his arms around her waist, enjoying the feeling of her nude body under his fingers. She always thought he has magic fingers, because the way they pressed onto her skin was out of this world. She could feel his touch on her skin long after they said their goodbyes, and his fingertips were carved deep into her skin. It's like she had a small holes in her body and only the tips of his fingers could fit into them.

She thought it's unfair how she's the only one without clothes, so while he was busy with kissing her neck, she lowered her hands and unzipped his pants, making them fall down his legs on the ground.

She would be lying if she said she doesn't want him, or that she doesn't want to be with him. Because she wants him as much as he wants her, if not even more, although Stefan would probably argue that no one wants anything more than he wants her. She wanted him for a long time, because since she kissed him for the first time she knew she wants to be close to him in every way possible. But she was afraid, she was afraid for such a long time, but now, there is no fear. As she was pressing next to his chest and going over his arms with her hands, she felt nothing but safety, and happiness, and need. As he was kissing her shoulders and as his hands were wandering all over her body, she felt loved, and wanted.

He had put his hands on her back and unhooked her bra. It slipped down her arms and fell on her dress. She had put her hands on her chest. She wasn't used to anyone seeing her naked. No one had ever seen her naked. There wasn't much to look at either. She felt insecure about her body, and she was worried he won't like what he sees. He could see her big, glossy eyes in the dark, full of worry and embarrassment. He smiled at her shyness and put his hands on hers and slowly removed them away from her chest.

„You look beautiful" – he told her as he watched at her naked silhouette in the dark. He lowered his lips on her shoulders. „Perfect" – he whispered – „Magnificent" – his words carved deep into her skin, and she believed in every word he said. At the moment, she would believe him anything he says.

He had put the top of his fingers on the end of her panties and started pulling them down her legs. His lips were following the movement of his hands, and as his hands kept lowering so did his lips. He was kissing her chest, then her stomach, then her thights. His lips went up her body and landed on her lips. He felt her naked body before grabbing her in his arms, slowly lifting her before putting her gently on the bed.

He watched her lying on the bed in front of him. She was patiently anticipating his next move with wilderness and excitement in her eyes. She crossed her legs, and her arms were lying on the bed next to her body, helplessly, like they're not even a part of her. He watched how her body was bathing in the moonlight. The light of the moon was emphasizing all of the advantages of her body perfectly. Her face was mostly in the shadows, hidden behind her hair, and the only thing he could see were her eyes. One side of her body was completely visible thanks to the moon, and the other one was in the shadow. He could see her chest, her creamy thighs, her perfectly shaped hips and thin waist, and the damp of her spine as she bent her body. To him, she looked like a goddess. She was the woman of his dreams, beautiful from the outside as much as she was from the inside.

He was worried fear will flush over her mind again if he makes her wait, because he could see glimpses of worry in those beautiful eyes of hers. He got rid of his boxers and took care of the protection before placing himself on top of her.

She knew it will hurt. She knew it's not going to be like it was in the movies.

And it really wasn't. It was everything but perfect, and comfortable, and painless.

When she felt him inside of her for the first time, she could feel the pain, and she wanted to scream. She wanted to scream from the depth of her throat, but instead, she had sinked her nails in his back. Pain was shooting through her body and she felt like crying. She didn't like pain, nor she was used to it.

It was uncomfortable, and awkward, and painful, and she didn't know how to kiss him, or should she say anything, or what should she do with her hands – was she allowed to touch him?

But all of that stopped when he kissed her gently on the cheek. He removed few strains of hair from her sweaty forehead, and planted one kiss on her forehead too. He touched her gently, like he's afraid of hurting her, and his touch felt like silk on her skin. And in that moment all the pain went away, and nothing seemed uncomfortable or awkward anymore. Her body relaxed and pleasure became her master.

„I love you" – he whispered into her ear as he pulled his fingers over her chest, making her skin tremble.

„I love you too" – she had put her hand on the back of his neck and pulled it down. He buried his face in her collar bone.

He was incredibly gentle. He made her feel like she's the only one for him, and like nothing else exists, but them.

And no one else but her existed for him. All those other girls, two times more experienced, could not even measure up to her. Making love to her was perfect, because she was perfect. She did not have any skills, she did not take control, she did not know what to do and it was her first time, but this right here was the best sex he ever had. Because she had chose him. She had let him make love to her. And she was his completely, and he was hers. He never felt so loved or accepted or needed as much as he did in this very moment.

And the whole world stop spinning, everything else stopped existing, everything but the two of them. Nothing else mattered. Past and future, they weren't part of this timeline anymore. Time freezed, and for a moment, everything stopped moving.

She was his angel, and he treated her as one. His touch was gentle, and her skin was on fire. She wrapped her legs around him, and he could hear her moan. Her hands were all over him, and he could not stop kissing every part of her skin his lips were able to reach. His kisses were sending delicious shivers down her spine. For a moment there, she forgot how to breathe. Their bodies were intertwined, and it that moment, they were one.

Everything she felt, he felt too.

He could hear her panting in his ear.

Her frequent and silent moans made him smile.

And then, he could feel her body stiffen, and after she released one loud, earth shattering moan, he knew she had reached her climax, and seconds after her, so did he.

He rolled himself off of her and laid next to her. Their bodies were sweaty and Elena was breathing heavily. Her exhlaes were louder than the inhales.

He turned his head around to look at her.

Her skin was glowing. Her hair was glued to her skin. From this position he could only see the side of her body that was in the shadow. He could see her parted lips, and she was staring at the ceiling.

„So, this is sex" – she said while trying to catch her breath.

He reached for her hand and intertwined his fingers with hers. She turned her head around to face him.

„No, this is making love" – he said as he brought her hand to his lips and kissed the top of it. She smiled at him.

„I'll show you sex later" – he winked at her. She laughed and continued looking at the ceiling.

Before either of them knew, she was asleep.

He covered her body with a blanket.


	17. Chapter 17

When he was a kid, Stefan hated staying home alone. Damon would usually be out for the whole day, leaving him with cold, ordered pizza from the place Stefan hated because they had a thin crust, and with few extra bucks for emergency, that Damon would usually spend the next day on God knows what. All of his friends were going on a small, two day vacations with their parents, so he was left alone in that big house. In the beginning, it was fun, having the whole house to himself. He was able to do whatever he wanted to, without asking anyone for the permission to do so. But after some time the house didn't seem so big anymore, and after a year, it became a lonely jail for a playful boy like him. Then Rebekah came into his life. Rebekah's mother was always going somewhere, hurrying, leaving Rebekah alone with her nanny, who was hanging on the phone from the moment she came through the door. In the beginning, Rebekah was sneaking out through the window, but when she realized the nanny doesn't care, she started using the front door to get out of the house. Every morning she would walk down the street in the dress her mother would prepare for her, and Stefan would meet her halfway. And in the evening, before her mother would come back home, she would walk up the street in the same dress, but this time more crumbled and dirtier than it was in the morning. But as he was growing up, he realized there are advantages of staying home alone over the weekends. He was able to bring girls home, throw parties, and many other things kids his age were not able to do.

When Stefan woke up this morning, he could feel Elena's body pressing next to his. He was holding his arms around her waist, like he was afraid she will squirm out of the bed if he doesn't keep her close to him. The back of her head was pressed next to his chest, and her body was bending in a way it could fill the gaps of his body. They were like a puzzle, where the one ends, the other one begins. Her body next to his was the most natural thing to him, like she was supposed to be there all along. She was not a foreign object, his body treated hers like she's a part of him.

He rubbed his eyes with his free hand and opened them widely. He studied sunbeams that were falling on Elena's skin, perfectly emphasizing her tan. Her chestnut brown hair was falling all over her back, pressing next to her sweaty neck, and tickling the soft skin of his chest. The white sheet they were covered with was reaching her hips, showing a little of her black, lacy panties, leaving the rest to his imagination. He had put his finger under the strap of her matching bra and slipped it down her shoulder. He lowered his lips and planted one small, gentle kiss on the place where her strap was. Her soft skin was a perfect match to his soft lips, like two different kinds of silk pressing next to each other. He could feel her body jerk a little next to his, before she released one silent moan followed by a giggle. She stretched her body out next to his, and he jumped a little on the bed, as the soft flesh of her body pressed next to his sensitive parts, making him burn from the inside.

She opened her eyes and turned around, smiling to him.

"Good morning" - she said silently, touching his cheek with the tip of her finger.

He had put his hand on her back, a little above her ass, and pulled her closer to him, joining their lips, and giving her a long peck on the lips.

"Morning love" - he said while their lips were still pressed next to each other.

He could feel a smile forming on her face as she was pressing her lips next to his, giving him a small and short kiss, the ones only she knew how to give. Those kisses were her specialty, and they tasted sweeter than anything else in this world.

"I love it when you call me that" - she lowered her head and rested it next to his chest. She could feel the beating of his heart, it was slow and steady, and it took her a while to realize their hearts are beating to the same rhythm.

"Love?" - he asked, pulling his fingers through her hair.

He could feel her nodding next to his chest.

"It makes me feel special" - she admitted while drawing circles on his torso.

"It's because you are special" - he lowered his lips on the top of her head and held them there for a while before pulling his head back up and landing back on the pillow.

She was nothing special. She was ordinary. But she did not want to argue with him. Not now, when he was making her feel so... loved.

Elena's phone buzzed on the table. She released a loud sigh, since she was so comfortable next to Stefan, and she was annoyed someone decided to bother her at this moment. She sat up on the bed, and sheet that was covering her fell down her body. She had put one of her legs on the other side of Stefan's body, and when she reached for the phone, she sat on him.

A smile appeared on her face as she read the text.

Stefan had put his hands on her hips, fondling her skin, making her circle her hips while sitting on him with a smirk on her face.

"Who is it?" - he asked.

"Caroline. They're going to the pool, and she's inviting us to come with them" - she said as she threw her phone on the other side of the bed. "Wait" - she frowned - "What time is it?"

Stefan stretched his head, trying to get a glimpse of the clock that was standing on his table.

"Half past noon" - he said while squeaking.

Elena's eyes parted in shock. "We slept that long?" - she pulled her fingers over his chest, scratching him a little, leaving white marks on his skin and she pulled her fingers down his chest.

A smugly smirk appeared on his face. "Well, we were pretty busy last night" - he smiled from ear to ear, making her smile - "I think the last time you screamed was around four in the morning" - he winked at her.

She giggled before lowering herself down on him and pulling her fingers through his messy hair. Seeing him in the morning was like seeing the side of Stefan she never knew existed, especially when it comes to his hair. With him, during these past few weeks, she liberated herself sexually. She could talk about sex without blushing, and when his hand would sleep down her clothes, her body would not jerk out of embarrassment, but out of passion and need. She kissed the top of his nose, and he slipped his fingers on the side of her panties, lowering them down a little so he would get a passage to the new flesh of her body. While his fingers were going over her skin, he felt a damp on her left hip. As soon as he touched it, she sat on him, pulling his fingers out of her panties. She looked away as she fell on the bed next to him.

"I haven't noticed that before" - he said, turning his head on the side.

"Reminder of the accident" - she smiled painfully - "Like I do not have enough of those" - her face adapted serious expression.

He glanced over at her. She was so bruised from the inside. She's not over her parents death, she will never be over that. He asked himself is the happiness she feels real, or does she acts it, trying to convince herself and others she's happy. He wondered does she loves him as much as he loves her - after losing two of the most important people in her life, is she even able to love someone else when she knows she could lose them faster than you can snap your fingers.

She had so many insecurities. She completely ignored all of her good sides, and emphasized her bad sides, that in Stefan's eyes, did not even exist. He loved all of her, good, bad and everything in between. And he wanted to convince her, to tell her, to make her believe.. he wanted her to see herself through his eyes, and to see how beautiful, smart and kind she is.

He pulled himself closer to her and kissed the middle of her stomach. He raised his head and removed the hair from her face, studying her face.

"God, you're so beautiful" - he pulled his hand over her inner thigh, making her close her legs, trapping his hand in between them.

She turned her head aside. "I'm not beautiful" - she said with a husky voice.

No matter how much she freed herself around him, he could not convince her how beautiful she was. He was sure if he searched the whole world he would not be able to find someone with as much beauty and grace as she holds.

He had put his finger under her chin, making her turn around. He scraped his lips against hers, barely kissing her.

"No, you're not only beautiful" - he smiled before kissing her neck. She closed her eyes, patiently waiting to hear what he has to tell her. "You're perfect" - he moved to her shoulder - "Flawless. Charismatic. Magnetic" - he planted his kisses all over her stomach - "You're everything that is good in this world" - he removed her panties on the left side - "You're one of the rare things that are good in my life" - he kissed her scar.

He made her tremble, and he had brought tears to her eyes. He had seen her for so much more than she was. She did not know what to say in response, and she did not have to, as he started tickling her. She started laughing, begging him to stop, but he would not listen.

Somehow, she squirmed from under him and jumped from the bed on her feet.

"You need to drive me home before going to the pool so I can pick up my bathing suit" - she said as she started walking towards the bathroom.

He moaned. "Do you need a bathing suit?" - he raised his eyebrow at her.

"Do you want to keep this to yourself?" - she wiggled her ass before disappearing in the bathroom.

He smiled and nodded. She did have a point.

Now, Stefan did not care about parties, or girls, or anything else people his age cared about. He was only thankful he was home alone so he can wake up with the woman he loves next to him.

**xxxx**

When they arrived at Elena's house, aunt Jenna was not home, to which she was grateful. She did not exactly tell Jenna she's sleeping over at Stefan's, but at Bonnie's. She had no heart, or courage, to tell Jenna she's sleeping at her boyfriends. Although she knew Jenna suspected, she wasn't stupid, nor she was that much older than Elena.

Elena slipped into her bathing suit, put a dress over it, found her beach bag and rushed down not to keep Stefan waiting. The pool was only 15 minutes away from her house, and it was Saturday morning, which meant no traffic, so they were there fairly quick. The pool was cramped, so Stefan told Elena to go and join their friends while he's looking for a parking spot. Elena hopped out of the car and hurried to find their friends. She was Caroline, Bonnie, Rebekah, Nik and some girl she did not recognize sitting by the pool. Caroline waved happily at her and Elena started walking towards them.

"Where is Stefan?" - Caroline asked as Elena gave her a kiss on the cheek.

"Looking for a parking spot" - Elena said while smiling happily.

It was then when Rebekah teared her look from the girl Elena did not know and noticed her.

"Elena, what are you doing here?" - she asked surprised as her face went pale.

Elena furrowed her brows, confused. "Caroline invited us" - she stammered. If she didn't know any better, she would think Rebekah does not want her there.

Rebekah and Nik looked at each other. Rebekah bit her lower lip.

She coughed to clear her throat.

"Elena, this is our cousin, Vicky" - Rebekah pointed at the girl sitting next to her.

Elena looked over at the smiling girl sitting next to Rebekah. Really looked at her, and she looked amazing. The lines of her face were perfect. She had baby blue eyes, ones like Damon had, small perky nose and perfectly shaped, apple red lips. Her light brown hair bordered with blonde was reaching her shoulders, and it was extremely puffy, like Katherine's curls, but Vicky's hair looked natural. She was tall and thin, but she had curves at all the right places. Elena knew she's one of those girls who makes all the heads turn around.

"Hi" - Elena waved awkwardly - "It's nice to meet you."

"Nice to meet you too" - Elena noticed Vicky does not have a British accent Rebekah and Nik had. Her accent was all American.

Elena took her dress off and sat next to Caroline.

"God Elena, you have a tan to kill for" - Rebekah said as she studied her perfectly tanned skin. Rebekah was as white as cheese. She could spend hours in the sun, but she would not tan.

Elena smiled at her. In that moment Stefan walked in and his eyes wandered over the place. When his eyes fell on the group of his friends, his body stiffened, and the look in his eyes became dead serious. Elena could notice that, and she was sure both Rebekah and Nik were able to notice it too, since Rebekah cleared her throat again, and Elena was sure Nik whispered 'bollocks'. Stefan inhaled deeply and started walking towards them, keeping his head lowered down, scratching the back of his neck. When Stefan came closer to them, Vicky grinned widely and stood on her feet.

"Vicky" - Rebekah hissed through her teeth, but Vicky did not care.

She stood in front of Stefan, blocking his way. He raised his head to look at her.

"Hi Stefan" - she said cheerfully.

"Hey, Vicky" - he sounded a little less cheerful than she did. Actually, in comparison to her, he sounded like he's being tortured.

But Elena's face went pale. They know each other? Well, she's Rebekah's cousin, of course they know each other, their paths probably crossed over the years. Elena felt Caroline's worried look on her, but she was too scared to face her, she didn't know what expression would her face adapt. She could also feel Rebekah glancing at her, so she was trying to keep her cool.

Vicky got on the tip of her toes and looked behind Stefan.

"I do not see that girlfriend of yours, what was her name again, Katie?" - Vicky cocked her eyebrow at Stefan.

"Katherine" - he corrected her - "We broke up."

"Good" - Vicky giggled - "I never liked her too much, you know. She seemed to have all of the things I wanted" - she pouted - "Glossy brown hair, that to die for dress.. you" - she pulled a finger over Stefan's chest, and that action made Elena tremble, part from disgust, part from fear. She swallowed hard, and she was convinced everyone around her were able to hear her. "But now I have you all for myself" - Vicky clapped happily.

"Not exactly" - Stefan scratched the back of his neck, and when he raised his head, he met Vicky's confused look.

"Vic, darling" - Nik said - "Stefan is with Elena now" - he snapped at her a little, but if you did not know him you would not even notice it, since every word he said sounded so nicely wrapped in his British accent.

Stefan smiled at Vicky and stepped behind her, walking towards Elena. He crouched next to her and kissed her on the lips.

"Are you going in with me or will I have to drag you in the pool myself" - he smirked at her, checking her out in her bikini, like he had never seen her without her clothes before. But when it came to her, it was always like that for him. He watched her like he sees her for the first time.

She bit her lip and grabbed the ends of his shirt, pulling it up his body.

"Eww, no one wants to see how Stelena foreplay looks like" - Caroline said loudly, probably everyone in the hundred mile radius have heard her.

"Stelena?" - both Stefan and Elena asked through a laughter at the same time.

Caroline nodded her head. "Yes, it's a word play. Stefan and Elena, together, you're Stelena" - Caroline said proudly.

Elena and Rebekah started laughing at the same time. That sounds like something Caroline would say.

In that time, Stefan stripped to his bathing shorts, put his arms around Elena's waist and picked her up. She had put her toe in the water, but pulled it out instantly.

"It's cold" - Elena pressed closer to him.

Stefan sighed. "Woman, you have a minute to get into that pool, or you're going to end up in it liked it or not" - he said seriously.

She turned around and smirked at him. "You know I love when you go rough with me."

They could hear Caroline go 'eww' again, but everyone else laughed.

Elena tried to run away from him, but he caught her, and picked her up in his arms. She laughed and screamed, trying to squirm herself out of his hug. He threatened her he will throw her in the pool, but she hung her hands around his neck and pleaded him to not do such a thing. So he had let go off her and got in the pool himself. In that time she sat on the edge of the pool, and jumped in his arms.

"Stefan?" - she said his name through a whisper.

"Mhm?" - he murmured as he watched her long hair widening all around her in the water.

"Was there something between you and Vicky?" - she asked. She was not afraid of the answer, by now, she could have guessed it, but she was afraid of his reaction to her question.

He sighed loudly, detaching himself from her, and leaning against the edge of the pool.

"There was" - he looked her in the eyes, but to both of their surprises, she maintained perfectly calm. "The summer before I started dating Katherine she came to visit Rebekah after a long time. We had this thing, nothing more than a summer fling. She came back in the winter, but by that time I was with Katherine. She said she doesn't care, and I told her that I care" - Elena's eyes grew wider. She never had summer flings. She never thought about having one. She was also taken back by Vicky's comment and persuasion, even after she found out Stefan was in a relationship. "Are you worried?" - he finally asked her.

She swallowed hard, afraid of answering the question. Afraid of what the answer might be once she thinks about the question.

"Do you trust me?" - he asked after he realized she's not going to answer his previous question.

She nodded her head. "Yes" - she said without having to think about it. Relationship without trust is nothing.

"Then you believe me when I say I would do nothing to hurt you?" - he asked seriously.

She nodded again.

He pulled her closer to him and kissed her forehead. His lips rested against her forehead for a while. "God Elena, you're so silly" - he said through laughter - "Don't you know I love you so much that I do not even notice when other girlswalk by me?"

**xxxx**

"So, what's their story?" - Vicky asked, pointing at Stefan and Elena with her look.

She dared to ask that question only after Caroline and Bonnie took off to the bathroom.

"They met, they talked, it was epic" - Rebekah said while applying sun lotion on her skin.

"And they fell in love" - Nik finished the end of the sentence how he found was proper.

"In love?" - Vicky asked through a chuckle.

"What's so funny?" - Rebekah asked, raising her eyebrow at Vicky.

"Oh, nothing. She simply doesn't seem like his kind of girl" - she wiggled her lips while making a statement.

"Oh, I can assure you she's his kind of a girl" - Nik snapped at her, elegantly. He never liked his cousin. She was full of herself, too full.

"I thought he likes good looking girls" - Vicky shrugged.

Rebekah's eyes widened. "Elena is good looking. To be frank, Stefan cannot see behind her" - Rebekah was kinda jealous of them, but by now, she was not even trying to hide it.

Vicky sighed. "I do not understand why would he want her when he can have me. Even that ex of his, Kimberly, is better looking than Elena" - she took the sun lotion from Rebekah's hand and started applying some on herself.

"Katherine" - Nik corrected her - "And maybe you're not his type" - he brushed her off.

"I'm everybody's type" - she smirk devilishly.

"I can bet" - Nik murmured to himself.

"And we will see about that."

Rebekah looked over at her brother before shooting a shocked look at her cousin. "What do you mean?"

Vicky turned her head over to Rebekah. "Oh, if he loves her as much as you claim, you have nothing to worry about."

**xxxx**

**Uh-oh, does Elena have something to worry about?**


	18. Chapter 18

"Just open it already" - Rebekah raised her voice, but Elena did not even flinch. She kept staring at the white envelope in her trembling hands.

This morning, Elena found her acceptance letter from Sarah Lawrence on the pile of mail no one looked through. Jenna would usually look through the mail while having a cup of morning coffee, but these days she's preoccupied with her exams, so she leaves the house before either Jeremy or Elena wake up. She wanted to open the letter from the moment she saw it lying on the pile of identical white envelopes, but she could not will herself to do so. She was too afraid of the answer, but she did not know what she fears more, acceptance or rejection. She had few other options, which were far from second best. She did not have second best, because for years Sarah Lawrence has been her dream college, and in her mind, it was her only option, although her aunt did not want to hear about all or nothing. Rejection meant all of her dreams, hopes and hard work crumbling down to nothing. But acceptance meant leaving all of this behind and starting a new life. Bonnie is going to attend Community Mystic Falls college, like her brother did, because her parents had no money to offer her something better. Caroline is going to take a gap year and travel around the Europe with Nik. Rebekah already got into Harvard on early admissions, which was only a surprise for her mother and people who knew nothing about her, because Rebekah had excellent grades. And in the end, there was Stefan, a person who became so important to her in such a short time. Even if he gets into Harvard, they will be 4 hours separated by car, which will unable them to see each other as often as they would like. Even now, a day without Stefan was like a month. What would a week without him feel like then? Like a year? But she did not want to think about it, and she did not want to fear her future. Her and Stefan, they will find a way to make it work, they will have to. In the end, he promised he would never leave her.

She had put her acceptance letter in her bag, and decided to open the letter in the presence of her friends. When she arrived, she told Caroline the latter came, and in the matter of few minutes Nik, Bonnie, Rebekah and Stefan also appeared, and surrounded her, making her stand in the middle, which only made her feel more uncomfortable.

She raised her look from the envelope to Rebekah who was staring at her impatiently, with her arms crossed on her chest. She took a deep breath and with one movement of her hand, she teared the envelope open and took the paper in her hands. As she blinked, her eyelids seemed heavier than usual, and she felt like her eyelashes are piercing her skin as they touched her cheeks. She inhaled deeply before she started reading the paper. Her eyes grew wider with every sentence she read, and for a moment there, Caroline could have sworn Elena stopped breathing while she was reading the letter. Then she raised her look and locked her eyes on Stefan who was standing across her, and without any emotion in her voice, or face, she said silently, "I'm in."

Then, the corners of her lips curved into a smile, and she raised her voice, yelling, "I'm in!", while throwing her hands in the air, the piece of paper stuck between her fingers. Everyone around her smiled and cheered, and Stefan stepped up, put his arms around her waist, picked her up and twirled her a little around the hallway.

"That's my girl" - he said before she hung her arms around his neck and lowered her lips on his, kissing him gently.

There was a loud 'awwww' from Caroline, which only made Elena smile, and Stefan could feel her lips curving into a smile while pressed on his.

"This deserves to be celebrated" - Rebekah said.

Stefan had put Elena on the floor, wrapped his hand around her shoulder and pulled her closer to him. She felt safe and comfortable while pressing next to him, and in that moment she knew she never wants to leave his side.

Everyone looked at Rebekah who was smiling widely.

"Is Salvatore residence free this weekend?" - she asked with a mischievous smirk on her face.

Stefan nodded, knowing exactly what's on her mind.

"Saturday, 8pm, Stefan's place, we're getting wasted" - Rebekah hopped a little in the place. Nik, Caroline and Bonnie looked at her awkwardly, raising their eyebrows at her, but Stefan and Elena laughed simultaneously. Elena had a feeling she knows Rebekah, the side she does not show to others, very well by now. In between Stefan's stories and hanging out with her, she picked up all the pieces of Rebekah's life, and she became a really good friend of hers.

Rebekah steadied herself and fixed her shirt that raised on her waist as she jumped up and down in place. "For Elena, of course" - she cleared her throat.

There were not words strong enough to describe how proud and glad Stefan was for Elena. He knew she deserves this, she deserves ten times more than this, she deserves everything she ever wishes for. But behind all of that, he was scared. He was scared that miles are going to separate their hearts as much as they're going to separate their physical presence. He did not even want to think about that, because the thought of being away from Elena was throwing him into despair.

In the end, he did promise her he will never leave her.

**xxxx**

"What did you think, bringing Vicky here!?" - Stefan hissed at Rebekah through his teeth, silently, as Rebekah, Vicky, Nik and Caroline made their way through the front door. Vicky winked at Stefan before running off to the living room. Stefan was grateful Katherine wasn't here, because Katherine hated Vicky more than she hated screaming babies in the mall. Katherine loved kids, but she hated those screaming brats who only took her mind off shopping. And there were few things Katherine loved more than shopping. Stefan hoped Damon was one of them.

"I did not bring her willingly" - Rebekah hissed back - "You know Vicky, she does not take no for an answer" - Rebekah rolled her eyes.

They headed to the living room, and the silence in the room was awkward. Bonnie refused to come, like she refused to go to the every party, and they did not invite anyone else, as Elena requested.

"What are we celebrating, exactly?" - Vicky asked with her high pitched voice.

Elena looked over at her. She did not hate Vicky, she did not think anything about her, but every time she was around her, she had this uneasy feeling in her stomach. And she was a little bit jealous of her, since Vicky had a body to die for. She emphasized her long legs by wearing short, denim pants. Her cleavage was not too revealing, but it was enough to make your mind wonder. Elena wondered does Stefan wish she would dress like that, or that she looked like that.

"Elena got accepted into Sarah Lawrence" - Stefan said proudly as he sat down next to Elena and kissed the left side of her temple, pulling her closer to him.

"Found yourself a smart one this time, eh?" - Vicky cocked her eyebrow at Stefan, but he did not react. He was trying to keep calm, but Elena could feel his shoulders tense as she leaned next to him. Vicky moved her look from Stefan to Elena. "So Elena, how did Stefan win you over?" - Vicky asked, pretending that she's interested in the answer.

"I did not" - Stefan said, before Elena could think of a proper response - "She won me over" - he looked down and smiled at Elena who was resting her head on his shoulder.

She giggled, with her childlike voice that Stefan adored, and waved her hand in Vicky's direction. "I had no idea what I was getting myself into, he's the first boyfriend I ever had" - she said through a giggle.

A smirk on Vicky's face was replaced with a surprised smile. "He's the only person you have ever been with?" - she asked through loud laughter. It was a mocking laughter, or at least that's how it sounded to Elena. What everyone else found cute and adorable, Vicky found laughable. "I'm sorry" - she was trying to make herself stop laughing - "But that is so amusing, considering how many women he was - "

"Vicky" - Nik said sharply, interrupting her before she was able to finish her sentence - "Some girls, unlike you, can control their whoremones" - he snapped at his cousin, something he wanted to do for a long, long time. Caroline jammed her elbow in his ribs, and Rebekah shot a warning look at him.

"Ouch" - Vicky said sarcastically.

"Let's play spin the bottle" - Rebekah yelled out of fear one of them is going to ruin the party.

"Sounds like fun, but I have to use the bathroom first" - Vicky said, glaring at Nik.

"Second door to the left" - Stefan pointed in the direction of the hallway.

They started playing without Vicky. They were keeping it low. Fun, but low. Everyone knew once Rebekah gets tipsy, the game is going to become far more challenging for all of them.

Rebekah giggled as she took another sip of her drink. "This person should.." - she squeezed her eyes, trying to think of a task, when a smirk appeared on her face - "Kiss Stefan!"

Elena giggled when she realized the only two people in an uncomfortable situation are Nik and Caroline, and that Stefan is probably praying for the bottle not to land on Nik. Rebekah had spin the bottle, and in that moment Vicky sat next to her with a smirk on her face, a smirk directed to Stefan, which left Elena thinking she had heard Rebekah's task very well.

Elena's face became pale, and Rebekah locked her eyes on Stefan, who's eyes were locked on the spinning bottle in the middle of the circle. Now, the bottle stopping on Nik did not seem that bad anymore.

But I did not stop on Nik.

It stopped on Vicky, and the blood in Elena's body became cold. She wanted to reach out for Stefan's hand, play supportive and completely not jealous girlfriend, but her hand did not move, no matter how hard she tried to will it to move. Nik released a loud sigh, and Elena could see guilt washing all over Rebekah's face. She was shooting an 'I'm sorry' look at Elena, because Stefan's look was now locked on Vicky who had the same old smirk on her face. She got on her knees and started crawling to Stefan, who kept backing down.

But when Vicky reached the middle of the circle, Caroline pushed herself in front of her and kissed Stefan on the mouth. As Caroline locked her lips on Stefan's, neither of them closed their eyes, and Elena could see shocked look on Stefan's face. Rebekah and Nik looked at each other and smiled before both of them looked at Vicky who looked pissed off, but she went back to her place. Caroline finally backed down and returned to her place.

"I'm sorry, but I always wanted to do that, so this seemed like a good opportunity" - she explained with a shaky voice while looking at the ground.

"Let's continue" - Rebekah yelled out loud nervously, taking a bottle and dropping it in Caroline's lap.

Caroline raised her head and when her eyes met Elena's, she shot her a "You're welcome" look, and Elena nodded at her with a smile on her face, hoping no one had noticed it.

As Caroline was ready to spin the bottle for the next task, the power went off.

"Shoot. One of the plugs probably popped out" - Stefan said while trying to stand on his feet - "I'll go upstairs to find the flashlight" - he was stretching out his hands in the dark, trying to feel if anything was in front of him, and he pulled his hands down when he felt the banister of the staircase. He headed to his room, sure there was a flashlight in the bottom drawer of his desk.

He heard his bedroom doors open then close silently, still making that irritating squeaky noise.

"Elena?" - he asked with a smile on his face - "Are you trying to take an advantage of this situation?" - he started walking towards her.

He had put his hands on her hips, but flinched as soon as he did so. She felt different. By now, he knew how Elena's skin felt under his fingertips. Heck, he even knew the normal temperature of her body.

"You're not Elena" - he said as he pulled his hands back.

The person in front of him had bony hips. Stefan could feel flesh on Elena's hips, he had something to hold on to while she was on top of him, and he could feel the goosebumps on the skin of her hips when she was chilly.

"I'm sure not."

Vicky's high pitched voice echoed in the room.

**xxxx**

"What is taking him so long?" - Nik asked nervously.

Caroline could sense his voice trembling. Not many people knew this, no one but Rebekah and Caroline did, but Nik was scared of the dark. It's one of those things that stick with you from a very young age. Caroline had put her hand on his and rubbed it, and in a moment or two, she could feel his hand squeezing her tightly.

The power came back on by itself, and Nik was relieved.

But Stefan was not coming down. Elena stared at the direction of the stairs, but there was no Stefan. Few minutes passed, and not even a sound was made. Elena started getting worried.

"I'm going to check up on him" - she said as she rain off up the stairs.

"Where is Vicky?" - Rebekah asked.

All three of them looked around the room, but Vicky was no longer there. Rebekah turned her head to her brother and all of a sudden her face became pale.

"You do not think..?" - Rebekah asked worryingly.

"Mother of.." - Nik hissed through his teeth.

When she reached the top of the stairs, Elena could hear Rebekah shouting her name, but she did not care. She was too worried about Stefan to care about anything else.

She opened the doors of his bedroom widely.

"Stefan.." - she gasped as her hand frozen on the doorknob.

Stefan was sitting on his bed, his head turned to Elena. His face was washed with shock and worry and.. fear. Vicky was standing only few steps away from him.

"Elena.." - Stefan said silently, but his voice cracked. He could not will himself to say anything else but her name, as much as he wanted to.

She had put her hand over her mouth, turned around in a hurry and started running away.

He could hear her footsteps on the stairs. He could hear Rebekah saying her name. He could hear front door closing. Loudly.

In few moments, Rebekah appeared in his bedroom.

She glared at Vicky, and Stefan could not remember the last time he had seen her so angry.

"What did you do?" - she hissed at her cousin, the way Nik used to do it.

Vicky smirked before walking over to Rebekah. "I told you, if he loves her as much as you claim he does, you have nothing to worry about."

And she was gone.

And Elena was gone.

In the end, she never promised she won't leave him.

**A/N: No, Vicky is not Matt's sister. And Rebekah will get a love interest later in the story.**

**Uh, oh Stefan, you've got some explaining to do..**


	19. Chapter 19

**Someone asked for my tumblr url - msneensdobrev, and my twitter un - jacesclary. So here you go ;)**

**xxxx**

_"You're not Elena" - words escaped his lips, and he could feel a certain amount of disgust and anger, for the person standing in front of him and for himself, in his voice. He pulled his hands away from her hips and backed down._

_"I'm sure not" - he heard a high pitched voice echoing in the four walls of his bedroom._

_Vicky. Sweat washed over him. He started creating scenarios in his head. He was afraid of what she might do, or what she might say. He was afraid of someone walking in and getting the wrong impression. That someone being Elena._

_"What's a matter Stefan, are you not comfortable with being in the same room with me? Alone, in the dark?" - she asked silently, using her seductive voice that once upon a time made him sweat because of different reasons._

_He kept walking backwards, trying to get away from her, but as he made few steps backwards he could feel his legs touching the bed, and before he knew it, he crashed on the bed._

_"Vicky, I'm with Elena now" - he was trying to maintain serious tone of his voice, but you could tell he was nervous. You would think a man with his experience would know how to handle himself in a situation like this. He lied and faked his way out of many awkward situations, and he lied and faked his way in many pleasurable ones. But being with Elena, all of that disappeared. To him, being that person seemed like a million of years ago, like he was that person in some previous life he vaguely remembers._

_"Do you want to be with Elena?" - the lights came on before she finished the sentence._

_He could see her standing in front of him, with her hands on her hips. She wore denim shorts that revealed her long legs and luscious thighs, and the black top pointed out her perfectly shaped waist and her breasts. Her hair was all over the place, and she had a devilish smile on her face. She was attractive, but she was no Elena. No one was like Elena, and no one will ever be like Elena. And Stefan wasn't sure he would ever be able to settle down for anything less._

_"She's not even that pretty" - Vicky made one step closer to him, but when she had seen him flinch, she stopped - "Or attractive. She's not experienced" - she said through laughter as she remembered Elena saying Stefan is the only boyfriend she ever had. "I remember how you touched me, Stefan. I know you like girls who know what they're doing" - she winked at him as she made one more step closer._

_"Vicky" - Stefan said her name with a serious voice, like Nik used to do - "I love Elena. I want Elena. What we had was - "_

_"A mistake?" - she said before he had a chance to finish the sentence. There was no smile on her face anymore._

_"No" - he said, and the smirk came back to her face - "But it is in the past, and it meant nothing" - he hissed._

_You could still feel traces of nervousness in his voice. It was because he was thinking the worst, and expecting the worst. He wondered how much time will take for them to realize Vicky is no longer there now when the lights came back on. Unless she made some excuse which would buy her time._

_The smirk disappeared from her face, and he was worried, and curious, about her next move._

_He heard footsteps in the hallway in front of his bedroom door. The blood in his veins froze. His look moved to the door, instantly, and so did Vicky's. The door opened, and the first thing he could see were the locks of brown hair flying in._

_"Stefan" - he heard a well known voice before his eyes locked on Elena's face._

_She was smiling when she saw him sitting on the bed, but as soon as she captured Vicky standing only few steps away from him, her face expression suddenly changed. Her face was washed with sadness, fear, confusion, and he could even see a little bit of anger sparkling in her eyes._

_He could feel his face stiffen. He also knew fear was evident on his face, and he wished he could hide that. His whole body was trembling, especially his hands, and he could feel sweat on the palms of his hands that were pressing next to his bed covers._

_Her look kept moving between Vicky and him, and then she finally locked her eyes on his, and he could see her walls coming back up, and that her worst thoughts have been let out of the bubble and invaded her safe place. He could feel her mentally pushing him away, and all they worked on, all the times when he told her she's beautiful, and amazing, meant nothing to her now. All of her insecurities came back, because to her, it looked like he wants someone else, even though he has her._

_She covered her mouth with the palm of her hand, turned around in a hurry, and started running down the stairs. He could hear Rebekah saying her name several times before there was a loud shout of the front door._

_He wanted to run after her, he wanted to stop her, to explain her nothing was going on, but his legs wouldn't move. He wanted to tell her things are not how they looked like. That sentence seemed so cheesy, but it was the truth. Nothing happened, but he knew there's no way to prove that to her. He doubted Vicky would cooperate with him._

_The next thing he could see was Rebekah's shocked face, and her eyes were full of furry._

**xxxx**

Stefan was lying on his bed and played the same movie in his head for a millionth time today.

Every time, he would do something differently. Sometimes, he would never go to look for the flashlight in his room, sometimes he would take Elena with him, sometimes he would push Vicky off and run away from his room downstairs, sometimes he would run after Elena. And no matter how the story played out, she would always end up in his arms.

He called her, but she never returned his calls. He waited for her by her locker, but she sent either Caroline or Bonnie to pick her books for her. In class, she sat as far away from him as she could.

He heard a knock on the door. He turned his head around and saw Rebekah standing there, leaning on the door frame. He smiled at her before turning his head back.

She sighed loudly and sat on the chair by his desk.

"No luck?" - she asked.

He took the phone that was laying on his bed next to him in his hand and looked at the screen. Zero unanswered calls, zero voicemails, zero texts.

"No luck" - the phone fell out of his hand on the bed, and Rebekah watched her friend cover his face with the palms of his both hands.

The was an awkward silence in the room, which was weird, because Rebekah and him could spend hours in complete silence, feeling they had the best conversation of their lives. To them, silence was made out of many words, and now, it was drilling a hole in both of their minds.

Then, Stefan could hear silent sobs, and when he removed his hands from his face, he could see Rebekah's face buried in her palms. She was shaking, but she was trying to hide it, as well as she was trying to cover up her sobs.

Stefan sat on the edge of the bed and put his hand on Rebekah's knee.

"I'm so sorry" - she removed the palms from her face, and Stefan could see tears streaming down her cheeks - "It's all my fault" - she cried.

Rebekah did not cry often. She did not cry when her mother called her fat, not even when she was a nine year old child. She did not cry when Sarah Auburn called her a slut in 12th grade. She did not cry while watching Titanic, nor did she cry when one of the numerous guys broke her heart.

Rebekah did not cry when she was sad. Instead of crying, she went on and did opposite of what made her sad. Rebekah usually cried when she was scared, or when she felt guilty, and those situations were rare. The last time Stefan had seen her crying was probably when they were kids, when he fell off his bike, broke his leg, and she thought he's going to die.

"I should have never bring her here" - she tossed her hands around Stefan's neck, and he pulled her closer to him - "I told her to pack her bags. She's gone, Stefan, she's gone. Please forgive me" - she squeezed her friend closer to her, afraid of letting him go.

Stefan shivered as she squeezed her hands around him, and in that moment, he thought he's going to burst into tears because of the sound of her voice. He pulled her closer to him, so close that she fell on top of him and rolled down on the bed next to him, burying her face in his shoulder.

"This is not your fault" - he kissed the top of her temple.

_It's my fault. Everything is my fault._

**xxxx**

Elena was sitting on her couch, cuddled into a blanket, with a box of ice cream in her hands, watching The Notebook. Caroline brought it over few hours ago, saying it should make her feel better. But it did not make her feel better, it only made her feel worse. But as a best friend, it was Caroline's sacred duty, to bring her sad movies and ice cream after a break up.

Was that what this was? A break up? Are her and Stefan really over?

She was in the dark about what happened between him and Vicky. Part of her didn't want to know. The other part of her knew she has to find out. She ignored every single one of his calls. And texts. When he came over she pretended she's not home, she never answered the door, and she forbid both Jenna and Jeremy to do so. Caroline told her that he's waiting by her locker every day, but she told Caroline not to tell anything to Nik, because she knew Nik would tell everything to Stefan.

There was a knock on the door. She paused the movie and slowly moved to the front door to look through the keyhole to make sure this is not one of Stefan's attempts to talk to her.

It wasn't Stefan. It was Rebekah.

Elena knew there is a chance she's here to talk in Stefan's behalf, but she also knew Rebekah could be here for her, because they became really close friends over the time her and Stefan were together.

She inhaled deeply and opened the front door. Rebekah smiled at her and pushed a box of cookies in her hands.

"I come bearing gifts" - she smiled, as Elena examined the box of peanut butter cookies. She smiled back at Rebekah, stepping away from the entrance, inviting her to come in.

Rebekah loved those little houses Elena lived in. She always wanted to live in one of those small, warm, cozy places. Like Stefan, she lived in one of the mansions on the edge of the town, and with her mom gone all of the time, the house seemed empty.

She turned around and noticed Elena looking at her. Then she remembered why she came over. She opened her purse and pulled a yellow envelope out of it and handed it over to Elena. "My mother is getting married. Again" - Rebekah rolled her eyes. Elena opened the invitation, and her eyes widened, and Rebekah could have guessed why. "I had this one made for you and Stefan especially,with his last name. I thought it would be fun" - guilt washed all over her face, and Elena noticed that, but she said nothing. She simply closed the invitation, put it back on the envelope, and crossed her arms on her chest. Rebekah pushed the strains of her hair behind her ear, and Elena realized she had never seen Rebekah so lost, or shy, ever before. "Despite the situation, I was hoping you could come" - she said with a light smile on her face.

"Of course I'll be there" - she replied with a reassuring smile on her face.

Rebekah smiled back before lowering her head down. "Nothing happened, you know" - she raised her head back up only to catch Elena's look on her - "Between Stefan and Vicky. Nothing happened."

"How do you know?" - Elena asked with a suspicious tone of voice.

"Because I trust him. Don't you?" - Rebekah cocked her eyebrow at Elena. Relationship without trust was nothing. It was like a ship without its captain.

"Of course I do" - Elena said a little offended, even though there was no need to sound like that. It seemed like she really did not trust him.

"What's the problem then?" - Rebekah crossed her arms on her chest.

Elena wanted to say something, but she could not find words to form a sentence. What's the problem then? There was no problem.

When Rebekah noticed painful expression on Elena's face, she decided to take mercy of her.

"Also, Vicky told me" - she said, making Elena look her in the eyes - "Before I kicked her out of the house. She told me nothing happened. She wanted to, but he kept repeating how he's with you now and how he loves you. She said he looked scared. I think he was scared of you coming in and things ending like they ended" - her voice was steady.

Elena kept staring at her, speechless. But Rebekah could see the lines of her face tensing.

"Look, I know you have no reason to trust Vicky, but I know her, and she was being honest. She had no reason to lie. Also, Stefan would never ever dream about cheating on you. If he wanted out, he would have dumped you, but he would never cheat on you."

"Why do you say so?" - Elena asked curiously because Rebekah seemed pretty sure in her words.

"Because he was cheated on."

Elena's eyes grew wider. She remembered how crushed he was about Katherine cheating on him with Damon. She remembered his teary eyes and his silence, and how crooked his smile was. And now, she was accusing him of doing the same. She was accusing him of putting her in the same situation and making her feel the same as he felt not so long ago.

"Oh God" - she said as she started lowering herself on the bottom step - "I'm such an idiot" - she pushed her hair back and buried her face in the palms of her hands.

"Elena.." - Rebekah crouched next to her and put her hand on Elena's knee. Her body was completely stiff.

"What is wrong with me? Why do I act like this?" - Elena cried out and tears started streaming down her face. "He loves me despite everything. Despite my paranoia and my constant need to be taken care of and despite the fact it took me so long to sleep with him" - she said without blushing, which would be the first time this word escaped her lips without being followed by the blush on her cheeks.

"Everyone are a little insecure" - Rebekah tried to console her.

Elena wiped tears of her face with the palm of her hand. "Not you."

Rebekah laughed out loud as she squeezed Elena's knee with her hand. "Boy, could I tell you stories" - she shook her head - "But there is no need for you to be insecure, not when it comes to Stefan. When I listen him talk about you, his voice changes. And there's a spark in his eyes. And with you, he's not afraid. I don't think you're getting rid of him so soon" - Rebekah smiled at her.

Elena laughed as she tried to clean her face of tears. Rebekah turned around and looked at the screen.

"Are you watching The Notebook?" - she raised her eyebrow.

"Yeah, Caroline brought it over."

Rebekah laughed. Caroline was really obsessed with the movie.

"Want to finish watching it?" - Rebekah stood up and stretched her hand out to Elena.

Elena was taken back a little. Rebekah hated that movie. She was sick and tired of it.

But she did not want to refuse her offer. "Sure" - she had put her hand in Rebekah's and Rebekah pulled her back up on her feet.

**xxxx**

**Will Stefan and Elena talk their problems out? Will Elena be able to face him? Will Stefan find the right words?**


	20. Chapter 20

"Wow!" - Caroline exclaimed as her friend twirled in front of her in her new dress - "Esther will die of jealousy."

"Esther?" - Elena cocked her eyebrow at Caroline.

Caroline blushed a little. "She told me to call her that. Said Mrs. Mikaelson makes her feel old" - she turned to the mirror to fix her lipstick.

Elena sat on the couch, carefully not to scrunch up her dress, and reached for vanilla color pumps which were under the coffee table.

"This is husband number..?" - Elena asked while slipping her feet into the shoes. She was not used to shoes this high, but Caroline made her buy them under the excuse she has killer legs, and that the shoes would go to waste if someone with potential did not wear them. She has to stop going shopping with Caroline, or at least letting other people make her buy things.

"I have no idea. I asked Nik, but he did not know to tell me, or did not want to. I doubt Esther knows either" - as she finished with her lipstick, she concluded her mascara needs fixing too.

Elena laughed. She stood up on her feet. The shoes were not as uncomfortable as she expected. She looked herself in the mirror behind Caroline. The shoes really did make her legs look leaner.

"I do not understand why do you refuse to use make up" - Caroline said annoyed as she put her make up back in her purse.

"Because I do not need it" - Elena smiled at her friend.

It was true. Elena's cheeks were always red. Jenna joked it's because she blushed all the time, even as a child, so they stayed that way. Her lips were perfectly shaped, long, but not too thin, and they were the color of the blood. The only product she ever used for her lips was a strawberry flavored lip gloss. Any use of eye shadow would only kill the beauty of her big, glossy, brown eyes.

"Just a mascara to extend your eyelashes" - Caroline whined.

Elena rolled her eyes at Caroline. "Okay" - she caved in pretty quickly, due to the years of experience. She knew she could never win, not when it comes to Caroline. No one could outwhine her.

Caroline smiled widely and took the mascara out of her purse and handed it over to Elena. Elena looked at the mirror and quickly applied mascara, thinking to herself how it does not look bad at all, before handing it over back to Caroline. Caroline looked into her eyes and clapped happily.

"Before we go, I have to ask you something" - Caroline said with a tone of voice which made Elena tremble. "Are you going to be okay with seeing Stefan there?" - she took her friend by her arms to steady her.

A smirk appeared in the corners of Elena's lips. "I think I'll survive" - she said sarcastically.

Caroline eyed her before smiling back at her.

"Okay then, let's go" - Caroline grabbed the keys of her car and headed to the front door, with Elena following her closely.

**xxxx**

Stefan was standing in the middle of the room with a champagne in his glass and Rebekah and her mother by his side. He was telling Esther one of the recent adventures him and Rebekah have been on, and he was making her laugh like crazy, which only made Rebekah more annoyed than she already was. Her mother loved Stefan, always have, always will. Sometimes to Rebekah it seemed she liked Stefan more than either of her children. But she knew Stefan's stories are keeping her relaxed, and are distracting her from seeing if something is wrong. And with Esther, something was always wrong.

Both Stefan and Esther laughed at the same time as Stefan ended his story.

"Rebekah, I do not understand why you did not snatch him up when you had a chance" - Esther clutched to her daughter's shoulder, and Stefan laughed nervously, glancing at his friend.

"I have no idea mother, maybe I'm gay" - Rebekah said. Only when talking to her mother, Rebekah could use her accent to sound like a pretentious cow. But Esther did not bother with her daughter's response, Rebekah doubted her mother had even heard her.

While Esther was looking over the room like a hawk, making sure everyone are having fun, Stefan's face went pale as he tightened his hand around the glass. Rebekah knew only one thing could cause that kind of a behavior in him. She turned around and saw Elena and Caroline walking in.

"Oh look!" - Esther exclaimed happily - "There's Caroline and that girl you told me about" - she said as she noticed her son moving in their direction and kissing Caroline's hand.

"E-l-e-n-a. Elena. Do you think you can remember that, mother?" - Rebekah said while rolling her eyes. Her repeating Elena's name shoot through Stefan like a poisonous arrow.

But once again, Esther did not react to Rebekah's comment, but started moving in their direction. Rebekah followed her, leaving Stefan alone.

"Caroline, darling" - Esther tried to fake her American accent, and Nik almost laughed in her face. But like with Rebekah, Esther acted like she hasn't even seen her son, and kissed Caroline's cheek.

"Esther" - Caroline said with a soothing voice, leaning in to kiss her cheek - "You look breathtaking."

Esther laughed, like she was not expecting a compliment, before looking at Elena.

"And you must be Elena" - she said, checking Elena from head to toe, before Rebekah finally met up with her and greeted Elena herself. She kissed her on the cheek, and Elena smiled at her after doing the same.

"It's nice to meet you" - Elena transferred her attention back to Esther.

"Likewise" - Esther smiled politely before taking a sip of champagne.

Then she looked at her daughter who was standing beside her with her arms crossed on her chest, looking at her nails.

"Rebekah, put your hands down, you look like a man" - Esther snapped at her before turning her head back at Elena and Caroline standing in front of her, smiled at them and excused herself.

Nik took Caroline by the hand and lead her to their seats. Elena looked at Rebekah who had her head lowered down, but was clearly blushing. Elena could not believe her mother was treating her this way, even in front of other people. She remembered her mother, and how kind and supportive she always was, and felt bad for Rebekah for not experiencing that.

She took Rebekah by her hand and, which made Rebekah raise her head. Elena had a pitiful look in her eyes, and if it were anyone else, Rebekah would snap at them, telling them not to take pity of her. But it was Elena, and Rebekah knew how compassionate she is, and how big her heart is.

"Your have a beautiful dress" - Elena said as she, with a smile, eyed Rebekah's knee length olive green dress with ruffles below the waist.

Rebekah smiled. "So do you" - she admired Elena's snow white dress, that from the front was barely reaching her knees, but the back of it was scraping against the floor. "But since when do you wear heels so high?" - she cocked her eyebrow at Elena.

"Caroline made me buy them. She said they will do wonders to my legs" - Elena rolled her eyes, but kept a smile on her face.

"She had a point" - Rebekah said through a low whistle, winking at Elena. "Have you seen Stefan?" - she asked with a low voice.

Elena looked behind Rebekah only to see Stefan talking to two elderly women on the other side of the room. She had a feeling he's eyeing her with the corner of his eye, but she couldn't tell.

"I think everyone have seen Stefan" - she bit her lower lip as her look fell back on Rebekah.

Rebekah laughed out loud before putting a hand over her mouth to silence herself.

"Well, no one can resist a Salvatore in a tux" - Rebekah commented. It was the truth, Stefan looked extremely hot in a tuxedo.

Elena smiled while glancing at Stefan who was still entertaining two elderly ladies.

"No one can resist a Salvatore. Period."

Rebekah laughed some more before she had noticed a painful spark in Elena's eyes.

"I switched our seats, so you and Stefan don't have to sit together" - Rebekah said.

Elena locked her eyes on Rebekah's face, and Rebekah could see in her eyes that she's thanking her, but couldn't form a sentence.

"Elena?" - Rebekah said her name in a low voice.

"Yeah?" - Elena's voice was husky.

"Be careful, Stefan's heart is more fragile than you may think."

**xxxx**

"Come on, it's time for dancing" - Esther appeared behind them and yelled so loud her voice kept buzzing in their ears alongside the music.

Caroline grabbed Nik by the hand, and despite his best efforts to stay sitting, she dragged him to the dance floor.

"Come on Salvatore, swing me" - Rebekah said as she got up from the chair.

"Nonsense" - Esther had put her hand on Rebekah's shoulder - "Stefan will dance with Elena. You can dance with cousin Jimmy."

In the moment Rebekah was ready to protest, she realized this might be one of the rare good things her mother has done.

"Sure. I haven't seen cousin Jimmy in a long time" - she smirked and hopped in another direction.

Stefan stood up, came closer to the chair Elena was sitting on and stretched his hand out to her.

"May I ask for this dance?" - he asked with an indifferent tone of voice, but with a smile on his face.

Elena looked at his stretched out hand, then in his eyes, which for a moment, she could have sworn, were smiling alongside his face.

"Of course" - she had put her hand in his, he pulled her up from the chair and lead her to the dancefloor.

She could feel her hand sweating in his. She felt like he transferred all of his energy to her body through his fingertips. She could feel his pain, and regret, even anger, and all of his feelings mixed with hers, creating an unpleasant feeling in her chest. He had put his hand on her back, and through the thin fabric of her dress she could feel his fingers pressing onto her skin. She could feel shivers going down her spine, and goosebumps on her skin as the back of her dress touched her bare legs. She could hear the thumping sound of his heart as she brought her head closer to his chest, and she could feel his exhales on the top of her temple. His breathing gotten heavier as she buried her face in his chest.

She missed him. She missed him so much.

"You look absolutely ravishing in that dress" - he said silently, with a husky voice, like the thought escaped his mind, and he's trying to stop it from coming out of his mouth.

"Thank you" - she whispered back, trying to find more words to say, but none came to her mind.

She could smell champagne and a Paco Rabanne perfume on him. She could also smell his cologne, and the smell of the shampoo that was spreading out of his freshly washed hair.

"I spent half of hour explaining my invitation to Rebekah's mom" - she said as they moved on the dancefloor, following the rhythm of the music.

"It has a nice ring to it" - he smiled.

"What does?" - she asked confused, inhaling the scent of his perfume.

He lowered his head, and his lips were touching her ear. "Elena Salvatore" - he whispered into her ear.

She wanted to move her feet, but she couldn't. She lifted her head from his chest, but instead of looking him in the eyes, she looked down. She pulled her hand out of his, mumbled something he couldn't quite understand, and walked away from him. He looked over at Rebekah who was looking at him, confused, and then he ran after her. She exited the building, and he found her standing in front of the front door of the hotel.

She had heard him come out behind her, but she did not turn around to face him, she kept standing there, with her back turned to him.

"What's wrong?" - he asked, standing behind her, so close that she could feel the warmth of his body near hers.

"Everything's wrong" - she replied. "The way I act. How insecure I am. The fact I keep hurting you, and you keep hurting me, and sometimes, we hurt each other at the same time."

"That is life" - he said calmly, which made her turn around - "This is not a fairytale Elena. I can't protect you for every single bad thing out there. God knows I can't protect you from your own mind. I can keep trying. But you have to do the same" - she was surprised by the rawness of his voice. "I hurt you, you hurt me, we hurt each other, that's how life works. We fight, we make up, we tear each other apart, and then patch each other back.. life is one big bipolar mess."

"But why do we do it?" - she said with a teary voice.

"Because we love each other" - he said instantly, without giving it a second thought, like loving her is the only thing he had ever been sure of.

And he was right. This is not a fairytale, and it was stupid of her to expect him to act like a fairytale character, because this is real life. And with all of its imperfections, it's perfect.

"Why do you love me?" - she cried out.

"Do you really need to ask me that question?" - he asked, a little bit insulted.

"Yes. I want to know. I need to know" - she was fully aware her insecurities are showing again. Because the girl who believed she's not worth of love did not disappear, she only buried her deep inside of her.

"Because you're beautiful, kind, and intelligent, even though you refuse to admit it. Because you know if you pout, I could never say no to you. Because you never say what you want directly, but always go round and round until I guess what you wish for. Because you care and love people more than anyone could guess, but you do not show it often. Because when you do not know what to say, you quote movies. Because there is no one else like you, and because even though we haven't reached our twenties, if you asked me to spend an eternity with you, I would say yes without giving it a second thought. Because you're special, and when I'm with you, you make me feel special too."

Tears were streaming down her face. Her heart was jumping up and down, and she had a feeling it's going to tear her flesh and jump out of her chest. She wanted to say something, anything really, but she knew her words could never compare to his.

So she slowly walked over to him and stood in front of him, her body shivering, her fast heartbeats making her body tremble, and the warmth of his body making her sweat. She tore her look away from his eyes, and looked at his lips, which were parted a little. With her heels, she was about them same height as he was, so there was no need for her to stand on the tip of her toes. She came closer to him, and with each and every step, she brought her lips closer to his too, until they were finally scraping against each other. Her look flew up only to meet the expectant look in his eyes.

There was so much history between those two pair of lips. And history tends to repeat itself.

Finally, she closed her eyes and pressed her lips closer to his, and when she felt his lips searching for hers, she pulled him in for a deep, long and passionate kiss. He wrapped his hands around her waist and pulled her closer to him, pressing their bodies together, and kissed her like this is the last time he's kissing her. She raised her hands and pulled her fingers through his hair, then lowering them down and wrapping around his neck, playing with the ends of his hair on the back of his neck.

"I missed the flavor of strawberry in my mouth" - he detached his lips from hers, and she giggled.

He lowered his hands on her hips, then down her legs, feeling her bare skin.

"Have I ever told you how amazing your legs look like?" - he smiled.

"Many times" - he could feel her lips curving into a smile while pressing next to his.

"And that dress looks so good on you" - he squeezed her hips with both of his hands.

"So you've said" - she smiled again.

He brought his lips closer to her ear. "But I think it's time to take it off" - he whispered into her ear.

She laughed, and the next thing she could feel was him lifting her from the ground, and his lips on her neck.

**xxxx**

**A/N: I think the idea of a college guy falling in love with Elena and Stefan being jealous is really, really good, but I've already decided to take this story in another direction.**

**I hoped you enjoyed this chapter :) Problems with Vicky are so tiny in comparison to what's ahead of us.**


	21. Chapter 21

He could still taste her strawberry lip gloss on his lips, and deep inside his throat, he could taste her too. If someone asked him how exactly Elena tastes, he would have a hard time explaining it. She tasted like the sweetest candy. Not like one of those with a huge amount of sugar which makes the skin of your tongue peel, and not like one of those which you can barely feel in your mouth. She tasted like a candy with the exact right amount of sugar. But when she was gone, she left a sour taste in his mouth, and his tongue burned, like there were fireworks inside of his mouth. Elena Gilbert tasted special, unique, like food you wouldn't mind eating every day for the rest of your life.

And then there was a scent of her lavender shampoo that stuck on his pillow long after she was gone. He might as well call it her pillow, since she used it every time she came over, marking it with the scent of her lavender shampoo, or with the scent of her blueberry lotion. She smelled like Spring, which soon enough became Stefan's favorite time of the year.

And then there was the smell of her skin, and no matter how weird it sounds, to him, she smelled like sunshine. Sunshine doesn't really smell like anything, but if it did, it would wear her smell.

But if it were up to Elena, she would say she smells like Stefan, because when they would part, and even after water washed her skin, she would still feel and smell him on her. Stefan got under her skin, and he's stuck under there from the moment she met him, and by now she was sure he's not going anywhere.

"Stefan, stop!" - Elena yelled through laughter as she was trying to get away from Stefan - "You know I'm ticklish" - she rolled around the bed, trying to remove his arm from her stomach. She was wearing only her panties and her bra, so he had a clear view of her most ticklish spots placed on her stomach.

"Reason good enough to tickle you more" - he smirked as he placed one of his hands under her, pulling her closer, even though she tried to wiggle her way away from him, and his other hand was on her stomach, his fingers working around her most sensitive spots.

She laughed out loud. "Ouch" - she said, as something squeezed inside of her stomach. She probably pulled a muscle from too much laughing, if that was even possible. "My stomach hurts" - he stopped tickling her, and she had put her hand on top of his, which was still resting on her stomach. The only difference was, he was cuddling her now.

"Maybe you're pregnant" - he kissed her shoulder and she could feel his lips curving into a smile on her skin.

She turned around like a tornado and punched him in his bare chest with her fist. "So not funny" - she frowned.

"I wasn't trying to be funny" - he smirked at her, caressing her face, trying to remove the frown from it.

And he was successful in doing so, since now her face was washed with nothing but utter shock. "You want a baby?"

He laughed out loud like she said the sweetest thing her brain could possibly come up with saying. "Well, not now obviously, but one day, yes. I would love a whole bunch of babies, actually" - he touched the tip of her nose with his fingertip, smiling at her.

Elena was shocked, and surprised. She never thought guys think about stuff like that. Girls tend to think about starting a family and having children from the very young age, but she never thought boys do to. Or maybe it was only Stefan. He thought about many stuff other boys didn't, or things she had no idea boys think about.

"Oh really?" - she cocked her eyebrow at him, squeezing herself next to him.

"Mhm" - he smiled at her, their faces so close to each other that he could see his reflection in her eyes. He looked differently than he did when he looked himself in the mirror, and he asked himself is this the way Elena sees him. "One boy and three girls. I would like the first one to be a boy."

Elena rolled her eyes. "How macho of you."

Stefan furrowed his brows. "Not at all" - he shook his head - "I want him to be the oldest one so he can take care of his little sisters. Until they're old enough to take care of themselves, of course" - he smiled, wiggling his nose against hers.

She was taken back. She did not expect this, not even from Stefan. But it did touch her. It made her want to jump ten year in the future and start a family with him, because as he said those things to her, she realized there's not a man she would rather have her babies with than Stefan.

"That's really sweet" - she smiled before her lips scraped against his - "But now, my biggest concern is what to wear to the Prom" - she laughed.

He laughed alongside her. "I'm sure you will look amazing in whatever you wear. But if you wear a dress similar to the one you wore to the wedding, I can't promise you will stay in it for too long" - he growled, pulling her closer to him, and kissing her neck.

She smiled as her body pressed next to his. But after only few kisses, he stopped and pulled his head back.

"Since we were talking about the future, now I remembered I have to show you something" - he rolled on the other side of the bed and stretched his hand out for the piece of paper that was laying on the table. Stefan shoved it in her hands. She unfolded the piece of paper and started reading it, her eyes widening as she reached the bottom of the page.

She looked at him with a big smile on her face. "They accepted you? Into Harvard?" - a smile froze on her face.

Stefan nodded. She threw the paper in the ear and tossed her hands around his neck. He had put his hands around her waist and lifted her, crashing on the bed with her on the top of him.

"I told you you can do it" - she said smugly while kissing his cheek.

"I couldn't have done it without you" - he said with a warm voice, full of gratitude.

"Well, that's not entirely true" - she said, with her lips pressing next to his bare chest.

"But it is" - he said with a voice so calm, voice so steady it reminded her of the calmness of the ocean after a storm - "You simply don't realize how much you have inspired me, made my life better, made me better" - he kissed the top of her head, and she was trying to keep the tears from falling down her face. "You will be at the game tomorrow?" - he asked hopefully, although she did not understand his need to ask, she was there for every one of his games.

"Of course I will" - she planted another kiss on his bare chest.

**xxxx**

"Hey" - Elena greeted Rebekah, while taking a seat next to her on the bleachers. "Where is everyone?" - she asked as she noticed neither Caroline nor Nik are sitting next to her.

Rebekah grinned. "We came way too early" - she shook her head, and Elena frowned. "Don't worry" - she started laughing - "It's the best friend and girlfriend complex" - she threw her hand in the air, waving at Elena.

Elena smiled and looked at the field, trying to find Stefan. Boys were warming up, but with their white helmets and red shirts they all looked the same.

"There he is" - Elena pointed at the guy in the middle of the running group and smiled, although he wasn't able to see her.

"How do you know it's him?" - Rebekah frowned.

"He has a number 17 on his shirt" - Elena smiled as Stefan finally noticed her and waved back. She looked like a groupie, she thought. But she didn't care, not even a bit.

Rebekah cocked her eyebrow. "Funny, I never thought about memorizing his jersey number" - she grinned when Stefan noticed her sitting next to Elena and waved at her too.

"I probably wouldn't remember it either but one time he made me wear it while we - " - Elena stopped in the middle of her sentence when she realized what she's about to say. She blushed as she turned her head around to look at the smiling Rebekah.

"While you what?" - she grinned, teasing her.

"You know" - Elena smiled and rolled her eyes.

"I honestly have no idea what you mean" - Rebekah grinned some more, bringing bright red blush to Elena's cheeks.

"He says he loves seeing me in his clothes" - she commented while trying to remove the blush from her cheeks.

As Rebekah was about to say something, Caroline and Nik showed up, on which Elena was grateful. She wasn't too eager to talk with Rebekah about her sex life. Few minutes after, the game started, and for the thousand time in this semester, Nik tried to explain to Caroline and Elena the rules of the game, but it was hopeless.

As he was trying to make them understand one of the rules, there was a crash on the field. All of the players grouped in the circle, and the viewers were on their feet, making noise. The coach joined the players, and few moments later there was a medical team on the field, moving at the group of players. As they came closer to them, players moved apart, and the medical staff had put the person on the stretchers.

"Was that..?" - Rebekah asked with a shaky voice.

Elena went pale. "Stefan" - she whispered his name and her voice got lost in the crowd.

**xxxx**

**A/N: No worry, there will be no teen pregnancy.**

**But uhoh, what happened to Stefan?**


	22. Chapter 22

No one ever tells you it's going to be like this. When you fall in love.

They tell you have amazing it is, to love and be loved. How alive you feel, how safe, how inhuman, like you are being possessed by some power bigger than anything on this Earth. All of the people, movies, songs, books, they speak about love like it's all unicorns, rainbows and cupcakes, even when they talk about the pain.

No one ever tells you about all of the bad stuff.

Elena was standing on the bleachers with the rest of the people as she watched the medical staff take Stefan away from the field on the stretchers. She never thought a person can feel like this. She never thought she's going to feel like this.

One minute, she had a feeling her body is going stiff, like someone had tied a rope around her body and made her legs melt into one. She had a feeling like someone is squeezing her insides, but from the outside, she felt as hard as a rock. Then, she felt completely relaxed, but that feeling lasted only for a second. Then, she felt like every bone in her body is cracking. She could feel her body trembling, and there were goosebumps on her skin, even though it was the beginning of summer, and it was not cold at all, not even chilly.

She said Stefan's name only once, through a whisper, and it was like she swallowed a razor blade. She had a feeling her throat is bleeding, as well as her mind, from the mention of his name.

Others were shouting, talking, whispering, but she could not hear a word. She could only see people's lips parting to make space for the words that wanted to come out. She could not even say a word, not even if she wanted to.

There were millions and millions of little thoughts crashing inside of her mind. And each was worse than the previous one. Part of her knew she's overreacting, but the other part did not let herself believe everything is going to be perfectly fine.

No one ever tells you you're going to feel like this when you fall in love. No one ever tells you when something happens to the other person, you feel like the part of you is dying away. No one ever tells you the whole world disappears and the only thing you can hear is the beating of your own heart.

Someone should tell that to people before they fall in love. Maybe someone should write a manual, and it would be a law to read it before you commit to a relationship, so when these feelings come you don't feel like you've been ran over by a speeding train.

Because I can assure you, one day, this feelings will appear. Maybe you will see them coming, maybe they will appear out of the blue.

But even if you see them coming, there's not a thing you can do to stop them.

Finally, Elena could see Nik running down the bleachers to one of Stefan's team players, probably to ask him what the hell happened down there. Because none of them had actually seen what went on on the field, since they were too busy with their own talk. After few minutes, Nik came back upstairs, and Elena was relieved by the lack of worry on his face.

As he began explaining what happened, she tried to pay too much attention to his words that eventually, she got lost in them. She heard only certain words, like Stefan was knocked down on the field, he's unconscious, but from the look of things his situation doesn't seem too serious.

So they drove to the hospital, and his parents and his brother were already there. Rebekah ran to them to ask if there were any news. By the same time Stefan's mom started talking, Elena got close enough to hear her saying doctor should come any minute now to tell them the news. Elena could see her trembling hands and the worry in her eyes, while his father was completely calm, going through something on his Blackberry. Damon was trying to stay calm, but Elena could see he's on the edge of his seat. Damon's eyes widened and he jumped out of his seat, which made Elena turn around, to see the doctor standing behind them. All of them came closer as the doctor started explaining the situation to Anna. He used a lot of medical terms, a lot of which Elena did not understand, or even memorize. But she remembered and understood few things, how Stefan had a concussion, some internal bleeding and that his right arm is broken. He had to have a minor surgery for them to stop the bleeding, so he will be sore for few weeks, but he won't be able to use his arm for about a month. The doctor said Stefan is conscious now and that they can see him, but not all at once, so Elena, Rebekah, Nik and Caroline said they will wait in front of his room while his family is in there with him.

His mother almost started crying when she saw him lying in the hospital bed. He looked so weak, and Stefan was one of the strongest people. He looked crushed, and ruined, but he managed to speak when he saw him mother approaching him.

"Hi" - he murmured when Anna sat on the bed next to him and took his hand in hers. She smiled at him and kissed the top of his hand, even though her eyes were filled with tears.

"How are you feeling, little brother?" - Stefan raised his head and noticed Damon approaching his bed. He used to call him little brother when they were kids, but he hasn't called him like that in years.

"Okay" - he tried to speak, but something tightened him in the stomach, so he nodded instead of speaking further.

"Look what you have done" - he heard a well know, cold and sharp voice of his father - "How will you prove yourselves to the scouts now?" - he raised his voice at his son who was helplessly lying on the bed, looking at him with his eyes open wide.

"Giuseppe!" - Anna yelled at him while still holding Stefan's hand in hers.

Giuseppe looked at his wife with a warning look like she's his greatest enemy, and before he had a chance to say anything, Damon stepped in.

"Father" - he said with an unusually calm, but sharp tone of voice, sharp like his father had used moments earlier - "You better leave now" - he crossed his arms on his chest.

Giuseppe looked at Damon in surprise, he had a confused look on his face, but his eyes were full of fire. He looked at his wife and his other son who were looking at him in anticipation, so he huffed without saying a word, turned around and left the room.

He passed Elena who was leaning on the door frame of Stefan's room, and who had heard everything that has been said in the room. If a look could kill, Giuseppe would turn into ashes under the intensity of Elena's look. But after he disappeared around the corner, she found it safe to enter the room. She went in, slowly and silently, and even though she knew Stefan will be bound to bed, the sight in front of her had still struck her. The paleness of his face, and the way his body was lying on the bed, exhausted and helpless, and the tired look in his eyes. He looked at her and parted his lips in surprise, but he could not say anything, he had no more power in his body for such a big step. But his eyes were smiling, so she smiled back. Anna turned around and saw her standing there, and after Damon's cough, she jumped on her feet and moved from Stefan's bed.

Elena started walking towards him, his eyes locked on her, until the moment she bent down and planted a kiss on his forehead.

**xxxx**

Stefan was lying in his hospital bed, going through channels for the millionth time today, although there was nothing on television to catch his attention. They decided to keep him in the hospital for couple of days for observation. He hasn't seen his father since the day he ended up in the hospital, but his mom, Elena and Rebekah were daily visitors. He heard footsteps in his room, so he raised his head up to see who is it.

His eyes widened at the sight in front of him. She was standing in front of his bed, wearing a small, low cut nurse costume, one of those you can see girls wearing for Halloween in movies. He noticed she's not wearing a bra. Her long, brown hair was falling over her bare shoulders, covering the puffed up sleeves of the dress. She started walking around the bed, and he could see shiny, white nylons on her legs, and black heels on her feet. She had a devilish smirk on her face.

"Elena?" - he asked in surprise, his eyes popping out of his skull out of surprise.

He thought they gave him too much morphine so he's hallucinating, and then she spoke. "Did you expect someone else?" - the corners of her mouth curved into a smile, her strawberry flavored lip gloss shining on her lips.

He swallowed hard. Her voice was smoky, and sexy, and she used that voice only once or twice in his presence. "No" - he shook his head.

"You're hurt" - she pouted, her hand gently landing on the top of his stomach - "Have you been a bad boy? Have you played rough and got yourself in trouble?" - she lowered her head down and whispered into his ear.

He parted his lips in surprise, but there were no words coming out of his mouth. He wanted to say something, anything, but he was unable to. It was like something was stuck in his throat.

"You're drooling" - he heard her saying, this time her voice was not so close to his ear.

"What?" - he asked confused, his own voice buzzing inside of his head.

"You're drooling" - he heard again, but this time the voice was different. It was familiar, well known, actually, but it was no longer Elena's voice, it was Rebekah's. He opened his eyes and saw her standing next to his bed, looking at him with her eyes wide open. He raised his hand and wiped the drool off his face.

"And you're not Elena" - he said with a whiny voice, pouting.

She cocked her eyebrow at him, smiling. "How cute, you're having sex dreams about your girlfriend. Most guys would dream about one of those girls from porno's" - she winked at him, taking a seat on the chair that was placed next to the bed.

"Why to dream about them, when you can have a real woman?" - a smirk appeared on his face.

Before she got a chance to respond, Elena walked into the room, with a smile on her face, holding a pile of books pressed to her chest.

"Hey" - she smiled at Rebekah before giving Stefan a peck on the lips and making herself comfortable on the bed next to him. He had put his arm around her, and she had put a pile of books on his chest.

"What is that?" - he frowned.

"Homework" - she said proudly. Stefan's eyes widened, and the only noise in the room was the sound of Rebekah's laughter.

"Homework?" - he brought his eyebrows closer together.

"Open the book" - she rolled her eyes.

"Why? Is there another book hidden inside?" - he mocked her.

She raised her eyebrow at him. "Just open the book."

So he did, and the serious expression on his face turned into a smile.

"I did your homework for you. You're welcome" - she messed up his hair with her fingers.

He raised his head and kissed her on the lips. "You're the best."

"Before I puke rainbows" - Rebekah said to remind them she's still there - "Do you need a date for the Prom tomorrow since Romeo over here is chained to the bed?" - she asked with a smile.

"Are you trying to sell my girlfriend to someone?" - Stefan asked while squeezing Elena next to him.

But before Rebekah had a chance to say anything, Elena spoke. "I'm not going to the Prom."

"Yes, you are" - Stefan frowned at her - "Just because I'm unable to go doesn't mean you shouldn't go either."

Elena turned her head to face him. "But I don't want to go without you."

"But you will" - a light smile appeared on his face - "And you will dance, and have fun, and make every other girl in the room envy you for your beauty."

**xxxx**

"Hey" - a well known voice greeted him silently. He was surprised to hear her, he was surprised to see her here. He closed the book he was reading, the one she brought him, and laid it down on the table next to his bed.

She looked breathtaking. Beautiful. Extraordinary. And not in a I-want-to-tore-clothes-from-your-body kind of way. But in a way he wanted to picture her like this, so when in ten or twenty years from now someone asks him what he thinks beauty is, he can describe them the way she looked tonight.

"You promised me you will go to the Prom" - he frowned as he watched her leaning on the door frame and looking at him with her big, glossy eyes.

She smiled. And her smile wasn't like something he has ever seen. Her smile was something special. It was like someone painted it on her face with all of his favorite colors.

"I was about to" - she showed him her dress. It was a dark blue dress, wrapping around her body, showing off her bare shoulders and the perfect shape of her hips. Her hair was curly, and the curls were bouncing on her shoulders as she moved to stand next to his bed. "But then I realized, Prom is wherever you are" - she lowered her head down and kissed him on the lips.

She wanted to go to the Prom so badly. But not so she can wear a pretty dress or so her hair can look bouncy. Not so she can drink punch or dance her night away. But so she can create more memories with him. So she can look back at this night one day and remember she loved, and was loved. And she really didn't care were they in the decorated gym or a hospital room, as long as they were together.

And he knew everything he would say from this moment on would sound pointless, so he kissed her back and smiled as their lips pressed next to each other.

"I brought Fast and Furious for us to watch" - she smiled at him.

He cocked his eyebrow at her. "You would watch Fast and Furious?"

"Well, it is your favorite movie" - she rolled her eyes as she grabbed for her bag to take the DVD out.

He brought his eyebrows closer together. "Actually, it's not."

She looked at him confused, but soon seriousness on her face was replaced with a smirk. "I know. That's why I brought Dead Poet's Society too" - she winked at him.

His lips parted in shock. "How did you know?" - he eyed her.

She popped the DVD in and sat next to him. He had put his hand around her waist and pulled her closer to him. She turned her head around and whispered into his ear - "I'm your girlfriend. It's my job to know."

**xxxx**

**A/N: Your reviews really made me chuckle. Stefan losing his memory would be interesting, but I already did a similar thing with Elena in one of my previous stories, so I did not want to repeat myself, and him being ill.. well, that would have been hinted in the previous chapters. Symptoms and similar. So football injury it is.**


	23. Chapter 23

Stefan was sitting on the floor in front of his father's office, twirling a piece of paper in his left arm, since his right one was still in the plaster. The doctor said his arm is almost healed, and that the plaster should come off before the graduation. But it kept him from playing football, and no one was too glad about that fact. Not his father, not the coach, not the playmates, not even him. He missed it. He knew he doesn't want to do it for the rest of his life, but that did not mean he hated playing football. He wanted to make a hobby out of it, not a career.

It's been almost a month since he's been out of the hospital. His injuries, except his hand, healed pretty quickly, so they had let him go home before it was planned. His mom was hovering over him all the time, worried, asking him does he need anything. There was a year supply of Oreos in his bedroom. Then Damon told her Stefan could use some privacy, and her frequent visits to his bedroom became not so frequent. Things between him and Damon were still not completely clear, and Stefan doubted they ever will be. They will never have the same relationship they had before, and maybe they were not supposed to. Maybe they were supposed to rebuild their relationship from nothing, the memory of who they were being only that, a memory. Stefan knew neither him or Damon will ever forget all of the stuff they said and did to each other over the years, Damon's actions being far worse than few of Stefan's punches and mean words, but in the end of the day, they were brothers, and no matter what, they never stopped caring about each other. And Damon would usually show his love through small gestures, and you had to have a pretty good eye to catch them. So Stefan kept his eyes wide open, since he was a child, out of the fear he will miss his brother telling him he loves him in his own way. And from the early years of his life, it seemed that is what Stefan cared about the most, love and recognition of his older brother.

Rebekah stopped playing worried little friend as soon as Stefan got out from the hospital, which Stefan did not mind, since worry was a bad look on her. Plus, her acting all caring and loving scared him a little. But Elena continued acting the same. She was even worse than his mom. Stefan always thought Elena grew up a little too early, which she admitted herself. She hated the age they are in at the moment. She wished she could skip to the time when she's ready to have a career and a family. She wished that since she reached the age when they stopped calling her a child, and started calling her a semi-adult. She also had a feeling like she's stuck in these teen years since forever, but being with Stefan made that easier. Waking up next to him, and going to sleep next to him, making them breakfast and similar stuff made her feel like they're older than they actually are, and like their relationship is more serious than what other people in their school have. Even though sometimes she was as smothering as his mom was, with her, he did not mind. Because with Elena, it was different. He could get lost in her. He could surf on the waves of her worry and caution. He found it adorable how careful she always was around him, afraid she will hurt him. She had changed a lot since he had met her. She freed herself in more ways than one. But the important things, little things that make her special, things he fell in love with, still stuck with her, and probably will for the rest of her life.

He hasn't talked to his father since the day he basically blamed him for the injury. He had seen him around the house few times, but he would always be buried in work, or at least he pretended to be. His mom told him his father is feeling so bad because of what he said, and Stefan knew if he doesn't come to him, this gap between them will never be fixed. Because his father was too proud to admit he's wrong, to admit that he has made a mistake, even if it was tearing him apart.

He finally stood on his own two feet and walked into his father's office. He was sitting behind his desk. He was always sitting behind his desk. Stefan could remember when he was a child, desperate of his father's affection, bringing him building blocks, coloring sheets, footballs, report cards, anything he could think of in order for his father to notice him. Sometimes he would raise his head up from the stack of papers to smile at him, but sometimes, he would not even notice his son entering the room. By that time, he was looking at his father in awe, and most of all, he felt a certain fear and respect for the man, more than he felt love and closeness a child feels towards his parents. He knew nothing about his father, except that he has to listen to him, and to nod his head at his requests like he doesn't even understand what's going on.

His footsteps were loud on a squeaky hardwood floor, and his father raised his look before Stefan had put a white, folded paper in front of him. His father kept looking at him with the corners of his eyes while taking the paper in his hands and unfolding it. He started reading, and Stefan could see one, thick blue vein popping out on his father's clear forehead. With every word he read, his eyes widened and the only thing Stefan could see in them was rage.

His father threw the paper on the table, his hand following it, making a loud sound on the hard wooden table.

"What is the meaning of this?" - his eyes flickered as he locked his look on his son's half frightened face.

Stefan took a deep breath and gripped himself, trying to dismiss the fear from his body.

"I'm not going to play football" - he answered, his face stiff, his eyes unable to leave his father's face.

Rage left his father face, but small amount of anger was still visible. But there was surprise and confusion on his face now. "Don't you want to play football?" - he asked, leaning back on his leather, green armchair.

Stefan shook his head while putting the palms of his hands on his father's table. "I never wanted to play football professionally, I've always wanted to be a doctor, you know that."

Giuseppe had put his hand over his face and rubbed his eyes before waving his hand in Stefan's direction. "We'll talk about this later."

Stefan shook his head again, and spoke through his teeth. "There is nothing to talk about."

This sentence made Giuseppe look up at him, but Stefan already turned his back at him, walking to the door. At the moment Giuseppe was ready to yell at him to come back, Stefan stopped and looked at his father over the shoulder.

"You know, most parents would be thrilled if their child got into Harvard" - and the next thing he could hear were the doors shutting with Stefan on the other side.

**xxxx**

It finally came. Graduation. Elena thought it never would. She wanted to graduate from the moment she stepped inside of the High School. She wanted to skip those four years and go to college. But now, she was happy where she was, and she was afraid of going anywhere else, even if that place is somewhere she always wanted to go. She was not afraid of new and unknown, far from that, she was curious about it. But she was afraid of leaving everything behind and not coming back to it.

It was somewhere around five in the morning, and Elena could not sleep. She knew she has to drive back to her own house before Jenna wakes up. But the sun wasn't out yet, and Elena felt so comfy under the fuzzy blanket, in one of Stefan's oversized shirts.

He was completely in shadow, half of his face buried in the pillow, one of his arms stretched above her head. His mouth were open a little and his hair was a mess, but Elena found that sexy. He always looked so proper, like there is no way for his clothes to crumble or for his hair to fall out of place, but the morning was a whole different story, a story for only her eyes to see.

"Go back to sleep" - she heard him murmuring into the pillow. She was not aware he's even awake, or aware she's looking at him.

"I can't sleep" - she said silently, reaching for his head, and pulling her fingers through his hair.

He growled silently before slowly opening his eyes and looking at her. "Is there something on your mind?" - he asked when he saw her big, glossy eyes locked on his face.

She bit her lower lip before pulling her look away from him. "Do you think.." - she started talking while playing with his hair, gently - "Do you think, this time next year we will still be together?" - she raised her look back to look into his tired eyes.

He hoped so. Life without her scared him. Life without her seem impossible. Life without her in it seemed not worth living. If someone asked him how he feels for Elena, he would not be able to explain his feelings correctly. "I can't live without her" sounds too dramatic, and "I love her" doesn't quite cover it. It's like living your life surrounded by bunch of people, but constantly feeling alone. Like there's not a person in the world who quite understands what you're trying to say or who knows how you're feeling just by looking into your eyes. And with time, you get used to living like that, and then one day, everything changes. Because this person walks into your life, and you feel complete. You feel like you finally found everything you have been missing. All the tears, all the fights, all the pain, in some strange way you enjoy all those things even if they hurt you immensely, simply because you're showered in the ecstasy of finally being whole. And that's hard to explain, especially to people who have never felt like that, or to ones who are still feeling empty, because they gave up on hoping things will get better one day. And the only person you can talk to is the person who's making you full, and the thing is, you do not even have to say anything for them to understand exactly what you're thinking about. And you know if you lose that person, you will go back to feeling like you felt before, and you cannot afford that.

He looked her in the eyes before pulling the covers off their bodies, taking her hand and making her stand on her feet. She looked at him confused, but she did not have the need to ask him what is he doing, because she trusted him completely. He lead her across the room and placed her in front of a mirror. He stood behind her and whispered into hear ear.

"Do you see that girl?" - he whispered so close to her ear, his hot breath made her skin burn. She nodded. He reached for her hands and intertwined his fingers with hers. "I'm going to marry her one day" - he whispered again, before planting a small kiss on her neck, followed by another one, and another one.

And that was a promise.

**xxxx**

**A/N: Saying it's impossible for Stefan to have a loving relationship with Elena who he only knows a couple of months when he doesn't have the same relationship with his own father because blood is thicker than water and then saying I portray Damon as a saint after everything he has done is completely contradictory. Stefan forgave his brother, it was his choice. If Elena wasn't there with him, maybe things would have turned out differently. But she was there, and that's the whole point, how these two people affect each other. Family is important, but not every family is a loving bundle of joy with a white picket fence. Some people do treat blood like it's water.**


	24. Chapter 24

**6 years later..**

Elena was sitting in front of her laptop screen, trying to come up with perfect words to end the last chapter of her book, but weeks passed by since something stole her inspiration. Her publisher has been nagging her about the deadline, which only made things harder. She knew how she wants to finish the story, she could see it in her head, but somehow, she could not write those words down. Whatever she wrote, she always thought she can do better, so she deleted every progress she would make and went back to where she started.

Her life was better than she even imagined it would be. She could look at college years with pleasure, especially because she stayed in contact with all of her friends. Ironically, the one she heard the most from is the one that has been the most far away. She talked with Caroline almost daily, even though her and Nik decided to stay in Europe for a little longer than a year. They came back two years ago, when Elena was in her fourth year.

Sarah Lawrence was the perfect choice of education for her. It pushed her in the direction she always wanted to go, and it helped her achieve all of her dreams, even the ones she never knew she had. She successfully published her book, and now is writing the second part of the series, and for now, she had signed a contract which includes at least four parts of the series, but by the look of things, she will write more than four books. Only in a week her book has reached a second place on the list of best selling novels, and until now, it hasn't gone down.

Elena's fingertips were hovering over the laptop keyboard when her Skype beeped. She opened it and saw that Caroline is trying to video call her. She looked at the time and sighed, because she knew Caroline is about to dramatize, like she did these last couple of months since Nik asked her to marry him. But she answered the call anyway.

"Why are you not on your way to the airport?" - Caroline yelled while doing her nails. Her hair was completely wet, and there was no trace of her bouncy curls. She was wearing a silky, pink robe, and the color on her nails complimented the color of the robe. She was concentrating on painting her nails in a hot, pink color, but that did not disable her from yelling at Elena.

"It's nice to see you too, Caroline" - Elena fixed her glasses with thick, black frame that were hanging from her nose. She pushed them up so she can see Caroline more clearly.

Caroline raised her head to the screen and wiggled her lips. "I'm sorry" - she shook her head - "Of course it's nice to see you" - she said with that annoying high pitched tone of voice she knew to use from time to time - "but if you do not move this instant, you're going to be late for my wedding, and how can I have a wedding without my maid of honor?" - she started waving her hands like that is actually happening. Elena could bet Caroline could see herself in her wedding dress, Nik waiting for her on the other side of the alter, but the wedding cannot take place because Elena is late.

"Caroline, your wedding is not until next week" - Elena said with a soothing voice when she noticed Caroline has started hyperventilating.

"I know, but you not being here tomorrow would mess up with my protocol.. you do have my protocol, I e-mailed it to you" - Caroline's eyes widened, expectant of Elena's answer.

Elena laughed lightly. "Yes, I received and printed it" - the saddest thing was, she really did. And she kept it in a safe place. Caroline may be one of those crazy brides, but she was her friend and Elena knew how much this means to her.

Caroline had put her hand on the place where her heart is. "Good" - she exhaled in relief.

Elena cocked her eyebrow at her. "But if I do not move now, I'll really miss the plane" - she smiled at Caroline who's face has gotten serious in the matter of few seconds. She blew a kiss to Elena before ending the call. Elena smiled, took her glasses off, and in the moment she was ready to shut the laptop down, she felt a set of familiar arms wrapping around her waist.

"Was that Caroline?" - she could feel his lips of her neck. She had put her hand on the top of his head and pulled her fingers through his hair.

Elena nodded while murmuring silent mmm's. "She felt a need to yell at me for still not heading to the airport" - she lowered her hand from his head and put both of her hands on his, which were resting on her stomach.

"We really should head of, though. God forbid we miss the plane. We would not only be banned from the wedding, but from the country" - he said while helping her get up from the chair. She laughed as she fell into his arms.

"But it's too early to head of now" - she protested while putting her hands around his neck and kissing his lips lightly.

"You packed four suitcases. It's going to take us a while to pull them down to the lobby. The elevator is broken in the case you have forgotten" - she could feel him smirking while their lips were pressed together.

"I have an idea" - she pulled herself away from him - "I will call us a cab, and you can start dragging my suitcases down" - she turned her back to him and took the phone in her hands, calling a cab.

She could hear him growling in displeasure so she turned around with a smile on her face and mouth 'I love you' to him. How could he say no to that?

**xxxx**

They were in a cab, going to Caroline and Nik's place. They will be staying in Elena's old house, with aunt Jenna, but she knew Caroline would freak out if she found out Elena had set her foot in Mystic Falls and not contacted her first.

It's been a while since Elena was home. It's been exactly a year, when she had visited Jenna for Thanksgiving. That was the last time she had seen her brother too, since he was on the other side of the country, studying in the UCLA. He promised he will be here for the wedding, although he said he won't be able to come earlier than the day before the wedding, which made Caroline furious so she placed him to sit next to her aunt who kisses everyone on the mouth.

Elena was looking forward to seeing some people, and then, there were some she did not want to see. People she was afraid of seeing, because she has not seen them in years.

The cab pulled in front of the house, and Elena could see Caroline standing at the front door, waving excitedly. Elena called Caroline to inform her they have landed and that they should be there in about twenty minutes. Since that moment Caroline has been standing in front of the house waiting for them to come.

Elena came out of the cab, and Caroline ran towards can, hanging her arms around Elena's neck, pulling her into a hug.

"It's so good to have you here" - Caroline had squeezed her tightly.

"It's good to be here" - Elena tapped her friend on the back.

"Let me see the engagement ring" - Caroline said loudly, and fast, as she pulled herself from Elena. She took Elena's hand in hers, and whistled satisfyingly while examining the ring on Elena's finger. "And where's your future husband?" - Caroline asked while putting her hands on her hips.

"Here I am" - she heard a voice coming from behind Elena. She had seen him pulling suitcases out of the cab's trunk. She practically pushed Elena out of her way and pulled him into a hug.

"It's always good to see you, Tyler."

**xxxx**

Stefan was sitting calmly in his seat on the plane, flying to his best friends wedding. Sure, the wedding wasn't for another week, but his crazy bride to be liked to have everything under control. Stefan did not mind it, since it was his excuse to move from his work a little. Work which he loved, but from time to time, was tired of.

Stefan graduated from Harvard, and then accepted internship in a hospital in San Francisco. Rebekah moved back to Mystic Falls, but after only two weeks called Stefan, informing him she will be living with him, unless he wants her to jump from her bedroom window. Her mom was constantly bugging her about getting a job, finding a husband, starting a family, and the only thing Rebekah was thinking about was finding a job. Rebekah had a degree in law, something she was thinking about in a long time, and finally decided to make that move when Stefan told her that with her big mouth, there's not a chance in hell for her to lose in the court. Which was good, because Rebekah did not like losing. So him and Rebekah became roommates and stayed to this day, although she went back to Mystic Falls two days ago, while he was held up with work.

He was holding a glass of whiskey in his hand, stirring it a little in his glass, watching the drink crashing on the glass walls. He did not want to go home. He was scared of going home. He was scared of seeing her, having to talk to her, especially because he was successful in avoiding her for more than five years.

Nik told him she's with someone else now. Rebekah told him she's engaged. And Caroline called him to inform him he will move him as far away from her as possible when it came to the sitting chart. He had to convince everyone he's okay, that he was in love with her ages ago, that it was a High School romance and those rarely work. Everyone believed him, everyone except one person. Rebekah. Because she knew Stefan, and because she knew the truth.

There's not a woman in this world, or any other for that matter, Stefan will love more than he loved Elena Gilbert. She's the love of his life, and he had let her go. When she told him this is not going to work, he simply nodded and walked away. He did not fight for her. He had no will or power to fight for her. The fact she doesn't want to be with him, and that she doesn't want to fight for what they have, had crushed him. Rebekah had to watch him depressed for days. He did not speak, he did not cry, he did not complain.. at least not in front of her. He had kept it all in, and after some time, he had become a person he was before. A ladies man. New day, new girl. Sometimes he would remember her name, sometimes he would not even bother to ask. Some girls did not mind, and from some he got a slap across the face. By the time they graduated, he had slept with almost every girl on the campus. Ones with the reputation, ones without it. Stefan knew how to convince a girl to be with him. He would promise her everything, and by the time he was done with her, she was so high on the cloud nine she really did not care if he's going to keep his promise or not. He never had a serious relationship, because long time ago he decided none of them are worth it. None except one, and she left a long time ago. And with years, she moved on. She fell in love, she promised herself to another man forever, and in that moment he realized he's going to be alone for the rest of his life. Because no one can fill the void she left in him. And if he can't be with her, he's not going to be with anyone else.

And now, he's going to see her again. And she's going to open up all of those old wounds. He wondered how does she look like now. Secretly, he hoped she has gotten ugly. That she's fat, and that she doesn't have any hair, and that her face is full of pimples. But he knew that's impossible, he was sure her beauty will never fade away, even when she's 80 and wrinkly. To him, her looks were only a bonus. He would love her even if she was pimply, bald and fat.

He took a sip of whiskey.

"Stefan, are you okay?" - he heard a voice next to him.

He turned his head around and looked at the woman sitting next to him.

"Yeah" - he coughed to clear his throat - "thank you Hayley" - he smiled at her lightly.

"It's Hilary" - she frowned at him.

He turned his head around in embarrassment, hoping no one had heard him, and the next time he glanced at her, she was not looking at him anymore.

Right, Hilary. How could he ever forget the name of a woman who wrote him her name alongside her telephone number on a napkin on some party? She was pretty, though. She had a long, blonde hair, green eyes, milky light skin, and subtle pink lips. She worked as a model, so she was naturally tall, and thin. Too thin for Stefan's taste, but she was everything Elena wasn't, so she worked for him.

He waved at the stewardess, asking for one more drink. It's going to be a long flight, and even a longer week.

**xxxx**

**No, I did not make a typo, I meant to write Tyler, not Stefan ;) which is clear in the second part of the chapter.**

**It seems that Stefan and Elena are no longer together. Not only that, Elena is engaged to someone else. But it seems that Stefan is not quite over her - so what will happen when he sees her again? Is he going to let her go, or will he try to make a move?**

**Also, I'm very thankful for your reviews :)**


	25. Chapter 25

_He sat in his red Porsche and started driving into her direction. She called him yesterday, requesting to see him. She sounded stressed, and sad, and like something is on her mind, but she would not admit it. She said she simply wants to see him, to talk to him, that she misses him. But he could tell something is wrong, especially because next week is Christmas, and both of them are going home, so they would see each other then. He left everything behind. He had his finals, but he did not care about them, because her cracking voice would not leave his mind. He could not concentrate on doing anything else. So he drove for four hours, only to see her. He did not mind. The driving, the fact he was tired as hell or that he did not eat a nice, cooked meal in days, or the fact he has an exam in Chemistry in two days. He did not mind leaving everything behind because of her, because she was his number one priority. Everything else could wait, but she should not have to. He picked her up. She smiled at him, and he smiled back. He kissed her on the lips, and she gave him a nice hug. It was cold. It was rarely this cold in Mystic Falls. There was snow on her campus. She was wearing a long, red coat, white gloves, and white fluffy hat. Snowflakes were falling on her long, straight hair. She looked beautiful, and although he was freezing because he was under dressed, he could stand there for hours, watching her figure in the snow, even if the cost was pneumonia. They went to her favorite coffee shop. She seemed quiet, although her trembling lips were giving her away - she wanted to say something. She kept smiling awkwardly. Then she started to seem sad to him. He could see her heart breaking in her eyes, and there were tears in the corners of her eyes._

_"Elena, is something wrong?" - he tried to reach for her hand, but she pulled it back._

_Fear and sadness washed over his whole body._

_"No, nothing is wrong" - she smiled lightly in order to cover her act, and her cheeks blushed. He hasn't seen her blush in ages._

_"Well, something is clearly on your mind" - he said with a hallow voice. Part of him was afraid to find out what exactly is on her mind. But other part of him knew he has to know, that is why she asked him to come._

_"There is something I have to tell you" - she said, looking down at the cup of coffee in front of her. Vanilla cappuccino. He could see traces of her strawberry lip gloss on the cup. He almost forgot the taste of it, and that made him sad._

_He hated that sentence. We have to talk, there is something I have to tell you, and can I ask you something are literally three worst sentences in the existence._

_"Okay" - he kept looking at her, although for some reason, she refused to look him in the eyes._

_"I don't think this is going to work out" - she said, her hands squeezing around the cup._

_He had put his hands on the table, but he did not say anything. He kept looking at her with a blank stare in his eyes. When she could not handle it anymore, she raised her head and looked him directly in the eyes. He looked confused._

_"What you don't think is not going to work out?" - he asked calmly, although there was a loud voice in his head, screaming at him, telling him what is this all about. But he refused to listen to reason. He refused to believe in what his mind was telling him, and decided to listen to his heart._

_"Us" - she said with a husky voice._

_His body stiffened. He kept looking at her, waiting to see will her face expression change, but it didn't. She was calm, although he could see fear and sadness and heartbreak behind her eyes._

_"You probably thought about it too" - she said with a lingering stare, only to break this ground shattering silence between them. He leaned into his chair, but his body still looked stiff. He crossed his arms on his chest._

_"Elena, not being with you was never an option for me" - he said with a soothing voice, although she could see a lump in his throat, keeping the words from coming out of his mouth without trouble. She had a feeling every word he spoke was like a razor blade cutting his throat._

_She steadied her look on his._

_"But you're not with me" - she said._

_"Is there someone else?" - he interrupted her in the middle of her sentence._

_She swallowed hard. "Of course not" - she said a little offended. And she was, she could not believe he would even ask her that question. There has never been anyone else, not for her. And for him, there never will be anyone else._

_"I love you. I love you so much it hurts me. Doesn't it hurt you? Don't you ever wake up and wish I was there next to you? Or do you ever want to kiss me, or hug me, but you're not able to?" - she asked him with a teary voice. She had a feeling something is strangling her._

_"Every single day" - he said truthfully. He understood her, he knew how she feels. Because he felt the same. Sometimes he would wake up and want to reach for her, but then he remembered she's not there. He would remember she's miles away, and it would hurt him, both physically and emotionally._

_"Then you know how is it. How your heart sinks. And how moody you are for the whole day. Feeling like something is missing, day after day. I used to have you every day, and now I need you every day. You're mine, but you're not with me. It hurts me, having you, but not being able to.. have you. I feel like I'm stuck somewhere, and I can't breath. I want to scream, but there's no sound coming out. I have a feeling like someone has turned the lights off, and I'm scared. And I'm tired. I'm tired of feeling like this, Stefan" - tears started rolling down her cheeks while she kept squeezing a half empty cup in her hands. He wanted to clear her face of tears, to tell her it's okay, that he understands her, but he could not move. He had a feeling someone is ripping her away from him. Worse, she was doing it by herself._

_"Elena, are you breaking up with me?" - he asked. She looked at him and could see tears in the corners of his eyes. He was shaking. She was shaking too, even though it was extremely warm in the little coffee shop they were in._

_"Yes" - she said silently, so silently she was not even sure did he hear her or not. But he did. A tear that fell down his cheek confirmed it._

_He cleared the tear from his face and rubbed his eyes with the palms of his hands. He took out his wallet and put ten bucks on the table. Then he stood up and put his jacket on. And he did all of that without looking at her. Then he turned around and started walking towards the door._

_"Stefan" - she yelled after him, but he acted like he did not hear her. And before she knew it, he was out of the door._

_That year, Stefan Salvatore did not go home to celebrate Christmas. Or the next year. Or the year after that. Or the year after that._

**xxxx**

"Elena?" - she heard a well know voice calling her name.

"Uhm?" - she turned around with her mouth full of cookies. Elena always had a well developed sweet tooth.

Caroline cocked her eyebrow at the sight in front of her. "God, you're eating like a pregnant lady" - she made a comment which made Elena chuckle. She had to stop herself so the remaining cookies do not fall out of her mouth. But Caroline's face adapted a serious face expression. "You're not pregnant, are you?" - she asked silently so no one else hears them.

Elena almost chocked on the cookies in her mouth, but she managed to swallow them before the disaster happened. "God no!" - she said. She wanted kids, one day. But not now. She was being extra careful.

"Good" - Caroline exhaled - "because the dresses are not made to fit a pregnant woman" - she seemed to be genuinely relieved by the fact Elena is not pregnant. Elena chuckled again before reaching for another cookie. "What I wanted to ask.. are you nervous about seeing Stefan again?" - she asked through a whisper.

The next day, Caroline has summoned them all at her and Nik's place. Everyone were there. Caroline and Nik, obviously, Rebekah, Elena herself, who brought Tyler with her, and then there were Damon and Katherine with their four year old son Logan. Damon and Katherine have made it, who would have thought? It would be sad if they hadn't, was what Elena thought, after everything they have put Stefan through, even though he forgave both of them long time ago.

After Stefan stood up to their father about studying medicine, Damon did the same. He told him he doesn't want to work for him his whole life, that he wants to succeed by himself, so with Katherine's full support, he started his own business. The truth was Giuseppe Salvatore was damn proud of his boys, but he was too proud of a man himself to show it. But after both of them left him, he decided to step on his pride and offer his son his help, whatever he needs. Luckily, Damon was not as stubborn as his father was, so he accepted it. When Damon's business took off, he started working closely with his father's company, bringing them together, so one day when Giuseppe is gone, someone with full right will be able to take care of his inheritance. So instead of working for his father, Damon started working shoulder to shoulder with him. And Katherine never left his side. She loved him. Elena judged her for so long that she failed to realize Damon was exactly what she needed. Someone who did not care about what she was, but who she was. And she found that person in Damon. In her second year of college, she stayed pregnant with Logan, but with the little help of her mother in law around the baby, Katherine managed to finish college with the rest of them. Elena could have never imagined Katherine as a mother, but motherhood looked well on her, and it did wonders to her, as well to her personality. Somehow, she seemed warmer. Even as a child, she had a cold face expression, but whenever she looked at her son, she looked like the happiest person in the world. And you could see Logan was mama's boy by miles away. Bonnie could not be here so quickly, she was in Los Angeles, working. Bonnie went to the community college, and she started working on the college papers there. There she found her love for reporting, and as soon as she was done with college, she moved to Los Angeles, the city of dreams. And there she found her dream. Dream that took some time and a lot of hard work, but her dream nevertheless. Caroline was not mad at Bonnie for not being here, because she was glad for her, as well as Elena was.

"No" - Elena said calmly while chewing on a cookie.

Caroline was surprised by her cool attitude. "Really?" - she asked, doubting her.

Elena sighed, but before she was about to answer, there was a knock on the door.

"That must be Stefan" - Nik said as he hurried towards the front door. Few seconds later Elena recognized Stefan's voice. Nik walked into the living room, followed by Stefan and some woman under his arm.

She started hating her the moment she saw her. She could smell her perfume from the other side of the room. She was wearing a purple, designer dress that barely reached her knees. Elena was not very good with designer brands, but you could practically smell the quality of the dress. She had long legs, and the beige heels she was wearing only made them look longer. Stefan always had a thing for long legs. He used to squeeze her thighs and kiss them before he.. yeah, Elena had to cross her legs. The woman was beautiful. She barely had any make up, but she looked like a model. She had a sunshine blonde hair and big, green eyes, ones that fitted Stefan's very well. Her skin was milky white.

Wait, Elena thought. She did not only look like a model, she was a model. She could recognize her from that add for underwear she had seen in Vogue. She remembered because she wished to have the same flat stomach. Now she hated her even more.

Was she jealous? Of course she was not jealous. She had Tyler, why would she be jealous of some woman Stefan was with? She was glad Stefan has someone in his life, that will make things between them less awkward.

When he stepped into the room, his look fell instantly on Elena. Damn, she was more gorgeous than he remembered her to be. And here he hoped she looks ugly. That backfired on him.

Her hair was a little shorter, but still about the same length it was before. Her big chestnut eyes were locked on his date. Was she jealous? Stop being childish Stefan, he thought to himself. The corners of his lips curved into a barely visible smile after he saw her little perky nose, and her red lips. He wondered does she still wear her strawberry lip gloss. Are those.. are those Oreos in her mouth?

He almost creamed his pants.

"Uncle Stefan!" - he could hear a tiny, childish voice coming closer to him. It made him turn his look from Elena to the little boy that was running into his direction.

"Hey Superman?" - he said as he bent down to pick the boy in his arms.

"I'm not Superman" - he crossed his arms on his chest and pouted. Stefan glanced at Katherine who was giggling silently. No? Guess he's not into his Superman phase anymore. That was so last week, apparently.

"Spiderman?" - Stefan asked the pouting boy in his arms. Logan shook his head. "Help me out a little?" - he asked his nephew.

"May the force be with you" - Logan said with a deep, husky voice.

Stefan cocked his eyebrow at him. "Yoda?"

Logan nodded in satisfaction.

"He discovered my Star Wars collection" - Stefan heard Damon's voice. He turned his head around and saw his brother standing next to him. "Welcome home, little brother. Aren't you going to introduce us to your date?" - Damon smirked at him.

Stefan glanced at the woman who was awkwardly standing next to him. He almost forgot she's there.

"Sure" - he said while putting Logan down on the floor - "Guys, this is H - " - he stopped. Damn, he forgot her name again.

Damon coughed while walking in Katherine's direction, followed by his son. Rebekah chuckled a little.

"Hilary" - the woman said with a smile on her face.

He will have to write her name somewhere.

He looked at Nik who held his hand over his face, but he could see a smile behind his fingers.

"Right, Hilary" - he smiled. His look fell on Elena who was now looking at him in surprise.

Him and Hilary kept standing in front of them, and the silence in the room became awkward, and unbearable.

"For fuck's sake" - Rebekah finally said, rolling your eyes - "Stef, you remember Elena?"

Stefan looked at Rebekah who had an annoyed face expression. Stefan smirked. "Of course I do" - he looked at Elena who was looking at the floor - "But I do not know does she remember me, since the last thing she had seen was my back" - he walked past her and sat on the sofa next to Caroline.

Rebekah sighed loudly.

"Stefan" - Nik said with a warning tone of voice, which Stefan completely ignored.

"Then again, she always loved my back, especially when we - "

"Stefan!" - this time Elena yelled his name, but not in warning, in surprise. She could not believe the words coming out of his mouth. What the hell happened to him?

"And she speaks" - Stefan raised his eyebrow at her and smirked.

But before she was able to reply he shifted his look at Caroline who was sitting next to him, biting her lip.

"Now, my favorite bride to be" - he had put his hand on Caroline's knee and smiled at her. That smile, caring and adorable, was the only thing of Stefan Elena once knew, left on him - "tell me, why are all of us here?"

Caroline clapped with the palms of her hands and jumped on her feet, happy someone is finally interested in why she asked them all to meet here.

"The reason why I asked all of you to meet here, the reason why I asked you to come back to Mystic Falls two weeks before the wedding is because we're going to have one last party before some of us are legally bound" - she said happily.

"What are you talking about?" - Elena asked confused.

"My mother has a house on the lake, few miles outside of the city" - Nik tried to explain.

"And we're going to spend a week there" - Caroline continued, still enthusiastic.

"But that's not in the protocol" - Elena cocked her eyebrow at her.

"Screw the protocol" - Caroline winked.

**xxxx**

**A/N: No, Tyler is not Bonnie's brother.**

**I do not know exactly how many more chapters this story will have. Sometimes I plan to write something, but somewhere along the way I think of something else so I put it in the middle. Not more than 10 chapters for sure, though.**

**I'm glad you did not expect this twist, 6 years in the future fast forwards, because I know how some stories know to be predictable, so I'm glad I'm still surprising you with these events. I wrote a flashback to what exactly happened between Stefan and Elena to give you a better insight in why Elena exactly broke up with him. I know most of you are completely on Stefan's side, but I would also like you to understand Elena. In the end of the day, they were only 19 years old. **

**I decided to keep the rest of this fan fiction more laid back, thought it would be more fun that way. Of course, there will be good, old, sweet fluff, but since they're little older, let them be little bolder. There's also a change in Stefan's character.. he has to cope with his problems somehow, plus it will be fun to see how she reacts to the change she sees in him, and will she feel any guilt?**

**Stefan, Elena, in the same house for a week, hmm.**

**I'm also very thankful for your reviews and I hope you like the second part of this story too.**


	26. Chapter 26

The day Caroline announced they will be spending the following week in Nik's house by the lake, everyone went home to pack their things.

The next morning, following Nik's instructions, everyone arrived by nine in the morning at the house. Except Stefan, who was running an hour late.

To Elena's surprise, Rebekah arrived there with Matt. She found out from Caroline they're seeing each other, but Elena was determined to find out more about it from Rebekah herself.

Back in high school, she started developing a nice, comfortable friendship with Rebekah, which fell apart when she broke up with Stefan. In the beginning, she would hear from Rebekah often, but with years, their conversations started lessening. She hasn't heard from Rebekah in over a year now.

During the previous night, Elena could not sleep, because of one person on her mind - Stefan. She knew seeing him is not going to be easy, although she tried to convince everyone they're two of adults now who left their problems far behind. She was a little bit afraid that old feelings might resurface, feelings she tried to keep in check for so many years, but the truth was that Stefan Salvatore never left her mind, nor her heart. Every once in a while she would remember him, see his face around the corner. While watching an old movie on the television, she would remember how they used to cuddle up on the couch in front of the screen and fall asleep like that. She would remember him every time she saw Oreos on the shelf in the store, and sometimes, she could remember how his lips always tasted of his favorite cookies. That memory was so well carved in her brain that she could almost taste his lips on hers, and the taste of Oreos in her mouth, something she would always end up craving after that pleasant memory that after some time turned into a torture. Because it was only that, a memory.

There was a time when she thought she's going to spend her whole life with Stefan. She also knew she has no right to complain because it was her fault he's not in her life anymore.

She noticed the change in Stefan's attitude, and she didn't like it. She didn't know is this someone who he always was, or someone who he pretended to be now when he's around her. She wondered what had happened in his life that broke him so much.

It was a little bit chilly by the lake, especially in the morning. Rebekah, Caroline and Elena were sitting on the front porch with a cup of tea in their hands, listening for hundredth time the story of the night Nik proposed to Caroline.

"And then we had the best sex in our life" - Caroline said happily, remembering that night with a pleasure, and with a smile on her face.

"Eww" - Rebekah said, which was her usual reaction to the end of Caroline's story. She did not need to know about her brother's sex life.

Elena laughed, partially at Caroline's chipper mode, partially at Rebekah's comment.

"Not better than the sex I have with Matt, though" - Rebekah winked at Caroline. She thought if Caroline is free to talk about her sex life, so is she.

"Really?" - Caroline's eyes widened in Rebekah's direction.

Rebekah nodded satisfyingly. She could not believe she didn't notice Matt back in high school, especially when he admitted he had noticed her but thought she's out of his league. She wished he came to her sooner, or at all. Maybe if he did, she wouldn't have had to sleep with the half of the school in search of a guy who is not a complete ass.

"Little Matty Donovan, who would have guessed?" - was Caroline's response to Rebekah's satisfied nod.

Both Rebekah and Caroline moved their looks to Elena, and when she felt their eyes on her, she raised her head, awaiting for the question that was so obviously coming her way.

"And how is your sex life with Tyler?" - Rebekah asked as chipper as she could.

"It's okay" - Elena smiled at her while taking a sip of tea.

Rebekah and Caroline looked at each other, then back at Elena.

"Just okay?" - Rebekah asked confused, and a little bit surprised. Actually, a lot surprised.

Elena locked her eyes on Rebekah's face. Was she supposed to say something else?

"Yeah, it's nice" - Elena tried to fix the situation. Is nice a good word? What was she supposed to say? That is was passionate and amazing and that she could see stars after every time they made love? Because it wasn't like that for her. Tyler and her did not have that kind of a relationship. Their relationship was peaceful, and loving. She had a tornado with Stefan. With Tyler, she has a peaceful sea.

"And you're going to marry this guy?" - Rebekah asked surprised, obviously not satisfied with Elena's choice of words when it came to sex.

"Yes. He loves me and I love him" - Elena shrugged.

"And you have nothing more to say?" - there was an even bigger amount of surprise in Rebekah's voice now.

Something more? Is love not enough? She loved him, he loved her, it was not complicated at all, and there was nothing else to figure out.

"Should there be something more to say?" - she asked curiously.

"Yes" - this time it was Caroline who released her voice. Elena looked at her. Caroline usually did not butt in these kind of discussions. "I'm sorry Elena, but they do not write novels about love and okay sex, because that is not interesting to read, nor it is interesting to live. It's like you're living a really bad book" - Caroline looked down at the cup in her hands, unable to look Elena in the eyes - "I remember how you talked about Stefan. How he sets you free, physically and emotionally. How he makes you want to reach the stars. You never said it was okay or nice, you described it as.. amazing, like something you never experienced before. You do not want to live a nice life. You want to live an amazing life. And you deserve to spend it with someone who not only loves you.. but rises you in the stars."

**xxxx**

Elena was lying in the bed with a laptop on her lap, trying to write and ending to her second book, but failing miserably. She could not concentrate on anything but the sound of Caroline's voice that was buzzing in her head.

Was she right? Did Elena need more than Tyler? Does she deserve more than him? She loved him, there was no question about it, but was he the man she was supposed to spend the rest of her life with? Because with him, she did not feel like she felt with Stefan.

And as soon as she realized that, memories of Stefan had hit her, hard. With Stefan, she had sexually freed herself. He made her feel beautiful, and sexy, and special. And when they slept together, the only thing he really cared about was satisfying her needs, and she felt the same about him. They were in an union. Sometimes, she would feel like they're one, and she would treat him like she would treat herself. With Stefan, she knew the difference between having sex and making love. When they had sex, as much as it was fun, it was also raw and rough. But when they made love, it was electrifying.

With Tyler, it wasn't like that. Sure, it was physically satisfying, but he had never told her he loves her during, or made her feel.. wanted. Made her feel like no one else could replace her at the moment. But she thought that's how adult relationships are supposed to feel like.

She wondered does Tyler feel the same? Or is the physical pleasure the only thing he cares about?

She wanted to slap herself. What the hell is she thinking about? She loves Tyler. She's going to marry Tyler. Stefan is her past, Tyler is her future, and it's simple as that.

She closed her laptop in furry and threw it on the bed out of frustration. Few minutes later she heard Caroline calling her down for dinner, so she decided to freshen up, there was too much worry visible on her face.

**xxxx**

"So, tell me everything about how the two of you met" - Elena said excitedly while looking at Rebekah and Matt who were sitting across the table.

Matt smiled over Elena's excitement. "I went to college in San Francisco, so I stayed there after I graduated. One day, I ended up in a hospital" - Elena's eyes widened as Matt was telling the story. He could see the worry on her face. "Food poisoning" - Matt said to calm her down - "And there I had a fortune of bumping into this bastard" - he had put his hand on Stefan's shoulder, who was sitting next to him and drinking beer from a bottle. "He remembered me since we were in a football team together. He told me he's new in town so I suggested we should hang out sometimes. And that is how I met this beauty" - Matt took Rebekah's hand in his and brought it closer to his mouth, kissing the top of it.

Rebekah blushed. Elena could not remember ever seeing Rebekah blush.

"And how did the two of you meet?" - Matt asked Elena.

Elena and Tyler looked at each other and smiled.

"You should tell the story" - Tyler told her, reaching for her hand.

Stefan rolled his eyes. Show off.

"No, you should" - Elena said through laughter.

For God sake, someone tell the story already, Stefan thought as he continuously kept rolling his eyes.

Stefan thought he's going to puke. The two of them looked adorable. Like a couple from those home adds. And those couples are usually fake.

He took another sip of the beer.

"I am working for the publishing company, the one that published Elena's book" - Tyler started telling the story.

He has a girly voice. And hair. And clothes. He's all girly. Maybe he's gay. Maybe Elena's his beard. Stefan, stop it, he said to himself.

"She came in looking for my boss, and I was going through her book, since it was assigned to me. She noticed that I'm reading her book so she tried to be sneaky, asking me am I reading something good. I was actually only at the beginning, but I thought she's cute, so I wanted to show off in front of her, so I started criticizing the book. She started discussing with me, and it took me a while to realize the book is hers" - after he finished the story he tried to kiss her on the lips, but she turned her cheek to him, so his lips landed on her cheek.

She did not know why she did that, but Tyler was confused, and she acted like it was an accident. One part of her did not want to kiss him in front of Stefan. And by the look on Rebekah's face, Elena was pretty sure she knew what was going on in Rebekah's head.

"Stefan, how did you and Hilary meet?" - Tyler asked nicely while looking into Stefan's direction.

Hilary?, Stefan almost asked in surprise, but then he remembered the girl sitting next to him. He turned his head around to look at her. He kinda felt bad for her, and he felt like an ass for putting her in this situation. And only because he acted like an ass doesn't mean he actually is one. He was the same old Stefan, the person he always was, he simply did not let people see that side of him. Only certain people, the ones that were closest to him.

"We met on a party. She gave me her number. And now we're here" - Stefan took another sip of a beer.

"I was very lucky" - Hilary said with a smile on her face - "Every girl on that party wanted him."

And he only wanted one.

He smiled at her before turning his head around and catching a disappointed look on Tyler's face.

"That's all?" - Tyler asked surprised, raising his eyebrow at Stefan.

Stefan smiled. "Not all of us are able to spend our lives with the love of our life" - he said, his look running to Elena, who was looking down at the table.

"Who wants some Oreo cake?" - Caroline asked in a hurry before things get out of control.

"Not me, thank you, I'm full" - Elena replied, aware of what Caroline was doing.

"You refusing Oreos?" - Tyler cocked his eyebrow at Elena - "You love them. You always say they bring you good memories" - he smiled at her.

But that sentence made her blood freeze. She said that?

Rebekah chuckled silently. Or maybe Elena had imagine it because she was expecting her to chuckle.

She turned her look at Stefan who was smirking at her. He licked his licks the moment before she turned her look back at Tyler.

"So, Caroline, tell us more about the wedding" - Rebekah said, trying to save the situation, for everyone's sake.

"I was inspired by the theme of our Prom" - she said happily. She was always happy to talk about the wedding.

"Awesome, since I never went to Prom" - Elena butted in.

"You didn't? I thought girls live for that stuff" - Tyler was genuinely surprised.

Does this guy know anything about her?, Stefan asked himself as he took another sip of the beer.

Stupid Elena, stupid, mentioning something connected to Stefan, Elena mentally slapped herself.

"Stefan was in a hospital, so she was with him" - Nik said when he noticed no one else will say anything.

"We watched Dead Poet's Society" - Stefan decided to behave and not say what else they've been doing.

"Right, your favorite movie" - Elena smiled at him.

She remembered.

"I thought your favorite movie is Fast and Furious" - Nik cocked his eyebrow at him.

Stefan laughed. "So do everyone, my friend" - he winked at his best friend.

Only two people knew the truth. Elena and Rebekah.

Stefan tried to keep a happy face, but memories washed over his mind like a tsunami.

"Excuse me" - he said as he got up from the table and started walking towards the door.

It was cold. So cold. But he would rather freeze to death than spend one more minute in that room, trapped with them.. with her. Watching her being someone's else.

He should have fought for her. He never should have just left. And he should have answered her calls. If he did, if he was any smarter, if he was a man worthy of her, he would have done everything in his power to keep her. And maybe, she would be his fiance today.

No, by now, she would be his wife. She would be a mother of his child.

Because from the beginning he knew she's the woman he wants to spend the rest of his life with.

And now he's not able to. Serves him right.

He started throwing rocks in the lake when he heard his name being called. He turned around and saw Elena walking towards him.

"Why do you have to act like such a caveman?" - she yelled at him.

He was confused. What did he do now?

"Elena, can we not do this now?" - he asked sincerely. He did not even care has he done something or not, he was too tired.

But Elena saw him in those painful looking eyes. The man she used to know. The man she loved. And she could have felt her heart bouncing. It was like her favorite memory appearing in front of her.

"Can we move on?" - she was mad. She could feel her blood boiling inside of her.

"You did."

"And you didn't?"

Stefan shook his head. Does she really not get it?

"No Elena, I will never move on. You found someone. You fell in love again. You moved on."

"I did not move on, I settled down for the second best" - she yelled at him, surprising herself with her own words.

Did she really feel like this? Or did she say it in the moment, because it was appropriate? Because if she did feel it, she was not even aware of it.

He looked at her, surprised by her reaction.

"Are you happy?" - he asked.

Was she? Yeah, she was happy. Does she feel like she has everything figured out and like everything is in its place? No. She thought those things will come with time. But how long does she have to wait?

"Yes" - she said, as if this question was that simple.

Stefan nodded his head and smiled painfully. He was glad she was happy. But he couldn't be happy without her. Not really.

"Be happy then" - he said as he turned his back to her and walked away.

Again.

**xxxx**

**A/N: In the beginning, I wanted to write them off to college, but I figured out that could be tricky since I already said they want to go to different colleges, so there would be no room for drama since they would be miles away. So I did this to make it more realistic. Because this is what happens. Couples like this rarely work out, because of many reasons. This does not mean they never loved each other or that they do not deserve each other - love is not about deserving someone, it's about accepting that someone despite all of their flaws. They did not break up because they did not love each other - but because circumstances and feelings and pain made them to. And revealing their feelings and who they are now in one chapter is no fun, so be patient ;)**

**Thank you for your reviews, you're all really lovely :)**


	27. Chapter 27

Elena was sitting on a porch swing, cuddled up in a comfy blanket that was keeping her warm on this chilly morning, with a cup of hot apple-cinnamon tea in her hands. She could not sleep, so she sneaked out from the bedroom, and decided to enjoy the sunrise. She watched the sun coming up on the sky behind the lake. It was incredibly bright, yellow from the inside, orange in the middle, and red from the outside. It looked like a colorful circle, so beautiful, so safe, so comforting, it was hard to believe its colors could hurt, and that the fire on its surface could burn.

She managed to sneak out of the bed without Tyler even noticing. In 25 years of her life, she woke up only next to two men, one of them did not even notice when she would wake up, and the other would wake up if she only rolled over. Stefan woke up as soon as she would, and when he did not feel her skin pressing next to his, he would not be able to sleep.

She was thinking a lot about Stefan. About how he loved her, and how she loved him. How it felt when they were together. And how different what she has with Tyler is from what she had with Stefan. She loved both, there was no doubt, but she loved them in two very different ways, because both of them were able to give her different things she needed. With Tyler, she felt comfortable, she felt safe, she felt like a silent night or a calm ocean. She felt like she is done, like there is nothing more out there for her to do. Like this is it, for the rest of her life. And lately, that feeling has been choking her. She did not want her life to stop at the age of 25, she felt like there's so much more she needs to do, so much more she can do.

And her relationship with Stefan.. it was passionate, but it was also caring and loving. He made her feel like there's nothing she can't do, and pushed her to do everything she always wanted to. He had helped her free herself in ways she did not even know is possible.

There was one thing in particular that was stuck in her mind. The last night they spent together, when she made him make a promise that in the end, she broke.

_He came for a visit. They haven't seen each other for quite some time, two weeks to be precise. Longest they have ever been apart. He knocked on her door, and when she opened them, he was clearly breathtaken. It was written all over his face. Her hair was up in a high pony tail. The ends of her hair were tickling her back as she walked. She was wearing a skin tight, knee length, pink strapless dress. She knew he would like it. And she thought she should reward him somehow. He brought her flowers. She fell into his arms and kissed him. She kissed him so deeply and so passionately that she almost sucked all of his life force out of him. He squeezed her closer to him, and did not let her go until there was no more air in their lungs._

_They went out for dinner, then took a walk. She did not even have to say that she's cold, and he wrapped his jacket around her shoulders. But she told him she's cold anyway, before biting her lip. He could take a hint. They went back to her dorm room. Her roommate went back home for the weekend, for which Elena was very thankful. She pulled him into the room, took him by the hands and kissed him again. Her hands were on the back of his neck, playing with the ends of his hair, providing him much needed satisfaction only her hands could. He had put his hands on her back, but soon enough they were all over her. He explored her breasts over the dress while moving his lips down her neck, then squeezing her hips while going back to her lips. Finally he had put his hands under her buttocks, squeezing them gently, and he pinned her against a wall. He went back to kissing her neck, but the only thing she wanted to do was to tear the clothes off his body. She was hungry for him._

_"Stefan" - she was breathing heavily, still holding her hands on the back of his neck._

_"Mhm?" - he was kissing her neck slowly, pressing his lips on all of the right places, places he knew she likes. His lips on her skin were driving her insane._

_"Can we move to the bed?" - she asked silently, trying to sound seductive._

_She could feel him smirking as his lips were pressing next to her skin. "But this is part of the fun" - he said as he pulled her dress up her leg and tried to find his way into her panties. She held on to him tightly, pushing her body closer next to his._

_He played with her, and she knew it. But he did not own her. She felt translucent in his arms. He was able to melt inside of her and provide her with pleasure she craved for, but was not able to achieve by herself. Then, he started pulling her dress down, and all this while still kissing her neck, collar bone, shoulders. When the dress finally fell on the ground, he unhooked her bra, and started kissing her breasts, going down to her stomach, then her thighs, while fondling her hips. She thought it's unfair how he's still fully clothed, so she pulled his hands up and helped him take off his shirt. After that, he pulled her panties down with his teeth. He stood up, and she placed her hands on his abs, admiring the view in front of her. He placed her lips on his chest and started kissing him while still feeling up his strong torso. She finally lowered her hands and unzipped his pants, allowing them to drop on the ground, soon joined by his boxers. He took her in his arms and lifted her from the ground a little, and gently placed on the bed._

_After that, everything is a big blur. First, she was under him, and then somehow, she found herself on top. He was kissing her neck, reaching for her breasts, she was kissing his chest, scratching his strong upper arms. She screamed, a lot. Everyone on the floor probably heard her. But he did not mind, and she did not care. She got lost in him. There wasn't anything but the two of them, and they acted like they're one. There was no time, no space, no gravity. She moaned and he kept telling her how amazing she is, how beautiful she is, how graceful she is, and few other things he only dared to say while they were having sex, because in any other situation, she would explode from blushing. But in bed, she would turn into this confident goddess that knew what she wants and how to get it. She ruled his world, she ruled him, and if that was the case, he would gladly spend his life shackled in chains in her empire. She screamed his name more than once, but she screamed it loudest when she was climaxing. _

_She fell on the bed next to him, panting loudly, smiling. She came closer to him and put her head on his chest, still with a smile on her face. He wrapped his arm around her and kissed the top of her temple._

_"Never stop doing this to me" - she said through a laugh._

_He laughed after her, kissing her head one more time._

_"And never leave me" - she made a statement, but it sounded more like a question._

_She had no idea from what souls are made of, but she was sure hers and his were made out of the same material._

_"Never" - he said seriously._

_She raised her look up at him, but his eyes were already locked on her face. "Promise?" - she asked._

_"Promise" - he kissed the top of her nose._

Every time she and Stefan slept together, she experienced numbing pleasure, explosion inside of her body and her mind, so the first time she slept with Tyler, she had high expectations. And he did not live up to them. Second time, it was okay, and when she fell in love with him, it became nice.

Her train of thoughts was stopped by Rebekah, who came out of nowhere and sat next to her.

"Can't sleep?" - she asked as she stole half of Elena's blanket to cover her feet. Elena shook her head. "Me neither" - she sighed.

"What is wrong with Stefan?" - Elena turned her head around to look at Rebekah, but Rebekah's look was locked on the rising sun.

"What do you mean?" - Rebekah asked, although she very well knew what Elena means. Sometimes she forgets Stefan is different in the company of other people than he is when he's with her. He was still the same old Stefan, the person he always was and always will be. Caring, loving, helpful Stefan. He simply did not let others see that person.

"Why is he acting like that?" - she tried to simplify her question, but this time, Rebekah only sighed.

"When you broke up with him.. he was broken. He barely left him room. He failed every one of his exams. Sometimes I'd bring him food, and tomorrow, when I would come back, it would still be there, untouched. I have no idea for how long he did not eat. And then one day, everything changed. I came to his room in the moment some girl was leaving. He did not know her name or how he met her. I thought it's a one time deal. But it happened tomorrow again. And day after that. And day after that. He was never with the same girl twice, though. He said he's only interested in sex, but I think he was afraid.."

Elena was in shock, but heartbroken, nevertheless. "Afraid of what?" - she asked out of curiosity.

Rebekah still kept staring at the sun. "Afraid of falling in love. Of actually giving someone else a chance. Because he knew no one will ever compare to you. And he was afraid of comparing every other woman he's with to you. You're the one for him, and somehow, he's not yours one.." - this time, Rebekah turned her head around only to catch a sad look on Elena's face. "Elena, why are you with Tyler?" - she asked curiously.

Elena.. could not find and answer to that question that would make a good excuse. All she was left with was the truth. "Because I was done with being alone. I was tired of being alone. And I searched for someone who would live up to Stefan's standards, but there was no one. So I settled down for second best, which was Tyler" - she could feel tears behind her eyes, because a sudden realization had hit her.

Rebekah smiled, although Elena could not define the nature of her smile. "That is not a way to lead a life" - she turned her head back to the sunrise.

No, it's not a way to lead a life, for sure.

**xxxx**

They had a nice, quiet dinner. No incidents this time, no awkwardness, only laugh. After the dinner, Nik proposed a game of cards, which everyone gladly accepted. Stefan informed them he will join them later because he has to check him e-mails, to check are there some that are work related. He sat on the couch in the living room which was connected to the dining room, so he was still able to hear everything they say.

Few minutes after, Logan appeared in the room, holding Elena by her pinky.

"Uncle Stefan, do you mind if Elena and me color here?" - Logan asked with his baby voice. Logan was quite a charmer. He had baby blue eyes and a smile to die for. Damon and Katherine's genes did miracles.

Stefan lifted his look from the screen and smiled at his nephew, trying not to look at Elena. "Of course not, color away" - he said before looking back at the screen.

Logan sat on the floor and took out his crayons and coloring book and instructed Elena to sit next to him. He asked Elena to color the edges so he doesn't pass the line of the picture while coloring, which Elena gladly accepted. She tried to get to know Logan better, asking him about his friends, favorite cartoons, toys, colors. After some time, Stefan stopped reading his e-mails, and started paying attention to their conversation. He was surprised by how good Elena was with him, since Logan usually does not react to strangers well. She would make a great mom, he always thought so.

"Elena, do you have children?" - Logan asked, not moving his look from the paper. Stefan cringed.

"Not yet. I'd love to have them one day, though" - she admitted to the boy sitting next to her.

"I'd love to have a brother or sister. But mommy and daddy say I'm a handful myself" - he pouted, and Elena smiled at his face expression. "And uncle Stefan can hardly take care of himself" - he smiled.

Elena had to giggle at his comment.

"Thanks buddy" - Stefan said sarcastically. Burned by a four year old. Nice.

Logan lifted his head and smirked at him with a smirk he inherited from his father.

"Halloween is soon, I cannot wait for it. It is my favorite holiday" - he changed the topic quickly when he concluded there is nothing more to say about it.

"Really?" - Elena asked a little surprised - "Little kids usually love Christmas the most" - she said as she remembered Christmas was her favorite holiday when she was a child.

Logan turned his head to her and pouted again. "Uncle Stefan hates Christmas, so I'm hating it too."

Elena looked confused at Logan. She doesn't remember anything about Stefan hating Christmas. They never talked about it, but he never mentioned a special reason why would he hate it.

There was a silence in the room now. Stefan wanted to stop his nephew, but his hand was slower than Logan's tongue.

"I do not know why he hates it, though. I'm four, no one ever tells me anything, although I bugged everyone to tell me. One time, aunt Caroline told me uncle Stefan doesn't like Christmas because one year, Santa Claus came back and took his present away from him. And apparently, uncle Stefan loved that present more than anything in the world. I think it was pretty mean from Santa Claus to take the present away from him since it meant so much to him" - Logan kept coloring the picture, even though he noticed there was a silence in the room, he remained perfectly calm.

Elena raised her look from Logan to Stefan, but Stefan was trying to avoid her look by staring at the screen, pretending like he has no idea what Logan is talking about. But Elena knew those eyes all too well.

"I think the present was actually a girl, because uncle Stefan never had a girlfriend, not since I was born. I think that girl was his kryptonite" - Logan said proudly while nodding his head. Logan was smarter than the rest of the kids his age, or even some older. Actually, his intelligence was above average. Stefan often joked he must have inherited that from him, because there is no way he inherited it from his brother.

"Kryptonite?" - Elena asked curiously. She would ask anything at the moment just to avoid this awkward situation and the silence in the room. She had a feeling all eyes are on them.

Logan made a dissatisfied face expression. "It's from Superman, it's his ultimate natural weakness. And uncle Stefan is pretty much a hero, so she is his kryptonite, his only weakness" - he went back to coloring his picture.

Elena smiled at him before turning her look to Stefan, who was already looking at her. There was a certain amount of pain visible in his eyes, but he was trying his best to keep calm. She had to get out of there. If she stayed there any longer, she would have to hug him, and that would not end very well. So she broke their eye contact when she stood on her feet and walked away. Stefan cleared his throat with a cough and went back to reading his e-mails. Few minutes later, Logan came closer and made himself comfortable in Stefan's lap.

"Is Elena your kryptonite?" - Logan whispered into his uncle's ear.

Stefan smiled as he looked at the innocent face expression on his face. "Yes, she is" - he whispered back.

Logan pouted. "If you want me to, I can hate her for you" - Logan crossed his arms on his chest.

Stefan laughed lightly. "No, you should not hate her, you should not hate anybody" - he pulled his nephew closer to him.

Logan's pout was now replaced by a straight and confused line on his face. "Do we love Elena?" - he asked silently.

"Yes" - Stefan said without giving it a second thought - "We love her very much."

"Even after all these years?" - Logan asked, trying to grasp the concept of love, while watching Stefan's world shattering in his eyes.

"Always" - Stefan smiled. "But let that be our little secret" - he said as he gave his nephew a peck on the cheek.

"Deal" - Logan smiled, throwing his little hands around his uncle's neck.

**xxxx**

"Tyler?" - Elena called his name. They were lying in bed, ready to go to sleep. Tyler was holding an iPad in his hands, reading all of the news he had missed today.

"Mhm" - he responded, but he did not turn his head away from the device.

"We have to talk" - she said with a serious tone of voice, which made him look at her. He turned off the device, and put it on the night table next to the bed. "There is no easy way to.. uhm.. say this.. uhm.." - she did not know how to even begin.

"You're breaking up with me" - he stated, although in some other circumstances, that statement would be a question.

She closed her eyes and inhaled deeply before opening them again. "Yes" - she said with a shaky voice.

"Because you're still in love with your ex boyfriend" - he stated again.

A confused, and surprised, expression appeared on Elena's face. "What? No!" - she said horrifically.

She was not. Was she? Was it that obvious, without her even realizing it?

"It's.. Tyler, how is our sex life?" - she furrowed her brows while throwing her hands on the sheets.

"Nice" - Tyler nodded.

Wow, word nice really does sound horrible. Elena furrowed her brows some more. "But it should be more than that. It should be an explosion of feelings. It should be the best sex of your life. And ours is.. nice" - she said the last word so carefully like she was afraid it's going to come back and bite her in the ass.

Tyler kept looking at her confused, like what she was saying is not normal, like it's something completely off.

"You never dance" - she said out of nowhere.

"I hate dancing" - he frowned.

"I know" - she sighed - "But I love it."

Stefan hated dancing too, but he always danced, for her.

But this is not about Stefan, although he had this rude tendency of coming into her mind uninvited.

"I have a feeling like I'm done. Like this is it. And I do not want this to be it. I want more" - a tear rolled down her cheek.

There was an awkward silence between them for few minutes, and it was Tyler who spoke.

"What now?" - he asked a little desperate.

Elena turned her head to look at him. Her eyes were red and puffy. "Now we say goodbye."

**xxxx**

**A/N: I tried to keep sex flashback T rated, but still make it a little bit daring.**

**Tyler and Elena broke up.. so, what now?**

**Will she fall into Stefan's arms right away? Will he even want to.**

**Thank you so much for your reviews, you're truly wonderful :)**


	28. Chapter 28

Tyler left that very night. He did not seem too distressed, but then again, he rarely showed his emotions. Elena always had to drag the words out of him, and sometimes it took her hours to find out what he's really feeling. In the morning, she explained to Caroline what has happened, and of course, in five minutes time, everyone knew what happened too. In the next two days Elena did not leave her room a lot. She focused on explaining to her friends and family why is the wedding off. Aunt Jenna admitted she's not that surprised, but some of her friends were. Maybe because her friends were Tyler's friends first, because none of the people she knew before were surprised by the fact.

Rebekah tried to talk to, but Elena wasn't in the mood. She had spent all of her words on Caroline, and she had nothing more to say. She was afraid of Stefan's reaction. She thought he will be unpleasant and tease her, but he didn't. He didn't say a word. Sometimes, she would catch him staring at her, but as soon as she raised her look, he would move his away.

Elena woke up with an opened book on her chest. She did not plan on falling asleep, but the comfortable atmosphere in the room probably made her sleepy. There was a once upon a time warm cup of tea on the night table beside the bed, she was cuddled up in a warm, fuzzy blanket, and the lights were congested. She closed the book after marking the page on which she had stopped reading, rubbed her sleepy eyes and uncovered herself. It was chilly in the room, which was a shock to her body, because before she went to sleep, it was warm. She looked at the clock on the table. It was 7pm. She was surprised no one came to wake her up by now. She was wearing her short pajama bottoms and a black tank top. It was no wonder she was chilly. But then again, when she was packing, she did not know they will be spending their time somewhere where mornings and evenings are so cold. It was almost always warm in Mystic Falls. She decided to put her sweater on. It was oversized and long, it looked like a short dress, so when she had put it on, it looked like she has nothing under it.

She opened the bedroom door, and was surprised when she didn't hear any voices coming from downstairs, even though the lights were on. When she came downstairs, she noticed no one is there, except Stefan, who was frowning at the laptop in his lap. As soon as he heard the footsteps behind him, he turned his head around.

"Where are everyone?" - she asked before he had a chance to say anything. She was not in the mood to talk to Stefan. She was not in the mood to talk to anyone. Because eventually, they would want to know from the first hand what happened with Tyler, and she did not know how to explain it for them to understand, and to not find her reasons idiotic. Because sometimes there are really no words to describe what you're feeling. Sometimes your mind is so messed up barely you can understand yourself. But she knew what she felt, and she felt Tyler was not the guy she was supposed to spend the rest of her life with. She knew why too. She simply did not know how to explain it to others.

Stefan frowned at her cold tone of voice and turned his head around. "They went to the town. They did not want to wake you up" - he said as he started typing something.

She furrowed her brows, but she was glad they did not wake her up, because she really wasn't in the mood for a road trip. She could not imagine herself sitting with all of them one hour there, and one hour back, in a car. She wasn't exactly feeling down, because she thought she had made a right decision, but she was still feeling.. wrong. Like, how did she even allow herself to be in this situation, or why did not she realize it earlier? Why did she realize it now? She knew the answer, she held it in the back of her mind, but she did not want to admit it to herself.

"And why did you stay?" - she asked curiously. She moved to the couch behind him and looked at the laptop, curious about what he's doing. Work. All she could see were a lot of medical terms she did not understand. Some of them she could not even read. But Stefan was typing them and talking about them like they were easiest and most normal terms in the world. Like something that would appear in an every day conversation.

"I had some work to do" - he looked at her over his shoulder - "Also, someone had to babysit you" - a smirk appeared on his face.

She furrowed her brows. She always looked adorable when she did this. She looked like a mixture of a child and a puppy. If you were allergic to sweetness, her face would kill you. "I do not need a babysitter" - she exclaimed firmly. She was not depressed. She was not about to do something stupid, like cut her veins or jump off the roof.

"Mhm" - was all Stefan said as he continued typing with an incredible speed. He always has been good with his fingers. In more ways than one.

And suddenly, Elena did not feel like being alone anymore. She did not want anyone's company, she wanted Stefan's. She wanted his attention. And she wanted to slap herself because of it, because she felt like the biggest idiot this planet has even seen. She walked around the sofa and sat on the armchair across him. She watched him carefully. She stared at him for few minutes before looking around the room and then going back to staring at him. He seemed so calm. She even sighed a few times, but he did not even twitch.

"There's some food in the fridge" - he said without detaching his look from the screen.

"I am not hungry" - she replied.

A smile appeared on his face as he shook his head. "Yes, you are. You're making that annoying clutching sound with your tongue, which means you're hungry" - he explained, looking at her with the corner of his eyes.

She rolled her eyes while making herself comfortable in the armchair. "You think you know me so well" - she prolonged every word in the sentence.

Stefan smirked. "I do know you well. You haven't changed a bit."

She was very well aware there were times Stefan knew her better than anyone. And it was true, she hasn't changed much over the years, which probably meant he still knows her better than anyone. The thing is, she knew nothing about him. Whenever she talked with Caroline, or even those rare times when she talked to Rebekah, she never asked about Stefan. He was on her mind way too much and way too often, she did not need to know his every life move too. But she wondered, did he ask about her, did he think about her? Has she ever visited his dreams as often as he had visited hers?

But before Elena had a chance to reply, the power went off. She wept a little, she was afraid of the dark. She always has been. She could hear Stefan's chuckle across her.

"The fuse probably popped out" - he said, and she could hear him putting the laptop on the coffee table between them. "I'm going to be back in a few."

"No!" - she said loudly with a weepy voice - "Do not leave me alone" - she whispered. She did not know which was worse, being alone in the dark, or being in the dark with him.

He chuckled again, this time more loudly. "Come with me then."

She stood up and started walking towards him. After few steps, she could feel the warmth of his body radiating, so when she thought she's close enough, she stopped walking. He had noticed that, so he told her to follow him, and started walking. Stefan opened the doors, she did not know which one because she had no idea where in the house they are, but as long as she could feel his body near hers, she knew she was moving in the right direction. They started walking down the stairs, and she could hear him opening a small metal door. He turned on the flashlight he found in the box on the wall. It was then when she realized they're in the basement. He started moving towards another door in the wall in front of them, and she followed him. He opened the door, entered the small room and opened the fuse box.

"Just don't - " - he said as he heard the door closing behind him - "Close the door" - he sighed as he pressed one of the fuses and the power came back on.

"Why not?" - Elena cocked her eyebrow at him.

Stefan looked at her, and then at the closed door behind her. He shook his head and smirked. "Because the door can't be opened from the outside" - he explained. He learned that the hard way. One summer, when they were kids, Rebekah and him were playing hide a seek, and he hid in the basement, and then realized the door can't be opened from the inside. He spent an hour trapped in there before Rebekah finally found him.

Elena's face became pale. Worry washed over her. She turned around and noticed there's no lock on the door. They really were stuck. She was stuck in a tiny room with Stefan. Well, at least there was light.

She turned around and looked at him. He was perfectly calm, and she envied him. "What are we going to do?" - she asked him in panic.

His look wandered all over her body before he finally grinned at her. "Well, one thing comes to my mind" - he started walking towards her.

She gasped. She wanted him to stop walking into her direction. He was making tiny steps, giving her time to react. She started walking backwards, but there wasn't much space between her and the wall, so it took her only two or three steps before she felt her back touching the cold, concrete was pinned against the wall, looking him in the eyes, but he wouldn't stop moving. He kept his look locked on her face until he finally reached her. He had put one of his hands above her head. She could feel his chest pressing next to hers. Her heart was pounding wildly. Her legs were shaking, and she was trying hard not to fall on the floor. She thought about being cold, but she wasn't, because his body was keeping hers warm. Their faces were so close to each other. If either of them moved their heads, even a little, their noses would be touching. She took a deep breath as his eyes kept studying her face.

God, he missed being this close to her, so much. "You're still wearing that strawberry lip gloss" - he said as he kept staring at her lips. Her lips were pink and shiny because of the lip gloss she was wearing. Usually, her lips were bright red. He could taste the strawberry in his mouth.

Yes, she was still wearing the same lip gloss. She's been wearing it her whole life.

He inhaled deeply, taking her scent through his nostrils to his brain. "And you're still using the same perfume" - he looked down at her neck. He still remembers all of the spots on her neck that can make her go wild.

And by the look on his face, she knew he remembers. Tyler never found any of the right spots. He rarely kissed her neck.

"Do you remember how much fun the two of us used to have?" - she felt his fingers above her knee. He was pulling his hand up her leg, feeling the smoothness of her skin. He enjoyed the touch of her skin under his fingertips. And his touch still has the same effect on her body after all these years. She closed her eyes. "My mattress still has depths where our bodies used to be" - he said silently. His fingers were now touching the ends of her sweater. She thought he will stop now, but he didn't. His fingers slid under her sweater, and he started drawing circles on her thighs. "Do you remember that one time when we were having sex against a wall?" - a faint smile appeared on his face. Oh yes, she remembers. "You were screaming so hard into my ear. You left me deaf for few hours. Your panting was buzzing in my room for the following week. I bet that was the best sex of your life" - he squeezed her right thigh and she released a silent moan. "Because it was the best sex of my life too" - he started going up her body, but stopped at her hips. He had always loved her hips, and her soft, subtle flesh on them. Then, she could feel him lowering his head. She thought he's going to kiss her, but he didn't. She could feel his lips close to her ear. "You're aroused" - he whispered into her ear. She could have felt his hot breath on the whole right side of her face. His whisper made the hair on her hands go straight up. "I can smell it on you" - he had put his hand on her butt, while still holding his other hand above her head. Then his lips fell of her neck. He didn't even kiss her. His lips only scraped her skin, but that made her release a moan louder than the one she released before. Her body went stiff, and he could have felt it. "You break way to easily. Was he not taking a good care of you? I bet no one ever made you feel as good as I did" - she could have felt his smirk on her neck.

Elena swallowed. "There was only one" - she said, and the smirk disappeared from Stefan's face. He pulled his head away, and when she felt him doing so, she opened her eyes. "And I did not break up with him to be with you."

At first, Stefan was a little stunned, but then a devilish grin appeared on his face. "Who said I want to be with you? I only want to have you" - he said seductively. He locked his eyes right on hers in order not to miss her reaction.

She was offended. How dares he say something like that to her? Who does he think she is? She's not one of his Hilary's.

She furrowed her brows and her face adapted an angry face expression. "I am not one of your little sluts" - she curled up her hands into fists.

"And what makes you so different from them?" - Stefan had no idea from where he gathered the courage to ask that question, but he did.

Elena was about to explode, but somehow, she managed to hold herself back. She was above this. "The fact we have a past" - she said, hoping this would change his attitude. That it will soften him up.

But it didn't. He grinned even widely. "Sweetie, you gave up that right a long time ago" - he said, not even twitching.

She could have felt furry inside of her, furry she didn't feel for a long time, if ever.

She had put her hands on his chest. "You're disgusting" - she said as she pushed him away from herself.

He stumbled few steps away from her, and the grin on his face disappeared. He leaned against a wall, and pushed himself down in the sitting position. Silence occupied the room, and Stefan could not handle it.

"Out of curiosity" - he looked at Elena who was leaning against a wall with her arms crossed on her chest - "Why did you break up with Tyler?"

She kept looking at him for few seconds, but then she sighed and looked at the ground. "He's a good guy. A really good guy. Loving, caring, hardworking, ambitious" - she raised her head and from the expression on Stefan's face she concluded he's not interested in what kind of a guy Tyler is. "But something was missing. And I did not even realized until some people pointed it out. I thought that's how it's supposed to be, but when I realized it's not, our whole relationship didn't feel.." - she tried to find a proper word, but was unable to.

"Right" - he said. She looked at him, but he kept his look on the ground.

Right. That was the word she was looking for.

"Right" - she repeated it out loud, one more time. "Why are you here with Hilary?"

He raised his head to look at her. "What do you mean?" - he asked calmly.

"I mean, why are you here with someone who's name you can barely remember?" - she asked calmly too.

"Because I did not want to be alone" - for the first time, he said the truth out loud. For the first time, he admitted it to himself. He doesn't want to be alone. He was alone for a long, long time.

"You could have tried to be happy" - she said like it's the easiest thing in the world. To be happy. Like it's a necessity, not a luxury. Like everyone hold happiness on the palm of their hands.

"Like you?" - he said through his teeth - "No, thank you. I'd rather admit I'm unhappy than pretend to be happy" - he snapped at her. He regretted it the moment he did so, though.

She bit her lip, because she did not want to snap back. She did not want to fight with him. She walked over to him and sat on the cold, concrete floor next to him. Their knees were touching, but neither of them felt that sexual electricity from before, but the warmth of their bodies colliding.

"Do you think I wanted to break up with you?" - she turned her head around to look at him, only to catch him already staring at her.

His eyes were shining. He knew there are tears behind his eyes, but he promised himself he would not cry. Not now, not in front of her. "So why did you then?" - he said, although he remembered the reason clearly. He spent many hours thinking about it, trying to understand her reasons, trying to respect them.

"Since we started dating, I had you, every minute of every day. You were there for me when I need you.. and then you weren't. And I had a feeling there's a huge hole in me, like I'm emptying, and I only wanted it to stop" - she remembered the feeling clearly, she remembered it like it was yesterday - "But it wasn't only that. I wasn't there for you either, and I needed to be. I kept thinking about you, are you okay, what are you doing, how are you feeling, do you need me. And at one point, it became too much.." - she finally lowered her look to the ground.

"And then you moved on" - he banged his head against the wall, lightly.

She shook her head. "I was alone for five years, Stefan. I tried to.. but none of them.. you have set my standards way too high" - she laughed lightly, turning her look back at him - "And by now, I think it's clear I haven't really moved on either."

He closed his eyes and rested his head against a wall. He took a deep breath. "I was with so many girls. I know it was wrong, to act like that, to take my pain on them, even if they were willing. And Rebekah always told me to give one of them a chance. But as soon as I saw them, I knew.." - there he stopped, squeezing his eyes, willing his tears to stay behind his eyes.

"Knew what?" - he could have felt her leaning closer to him. The feeling was so familiar, almost like it never left him.

He opened his eyes, and she could see tears grouping in the corners of them. "They weren't you."

As he said those words, the door opened and Nik's head peaked in. He looked down at two of them in surprise, and cleared his throat through a cough. "What are you doing down here?" - he cocked his eyebrow at them.

Stefan stood on his feet and looked at his friend. "The fuse popped out so I came here to push it back in its place, but Elena accidentally closed the door" - Stefan explained as he started walking towards the exit.

"You're lucky you left the basement door opened. Otherwise, I'd have never thought you would be in here" - Nik yelled after Stefan who was already on the top of the stairs. He turned his head around to look at Elena who was still sitting on the floor. "Are you okay?" - he asked.

She smiled lightly. "I will be."


	29. Chapter 29

Stefan was sitting on a big, cold rock by the lake. The rock was placed on the entrance of the lake and it was fully surrounded by water. Stefan had always believed, if they had been able to look at it from the above, it would look like a small island. Rebekah and him, when they were kids, would sneak out of the house in the middle of the night, lie down on the rock and watch the sky above them.

A lot has happened in this house by the lake. This is where Rebekah broke her leg while trying to climb a tree in front of the house. This is where Stefan was afraid to come off the rooftop on which he climbed while chasing a squirrel. This is where Rebekah and him shared their first kiss only to conclude kissing each other is like kissing your grandma on the lips for Christmas. This is where Nik had his first party when he moved to Mystic Falls.

And now, everything has changed. Nik is getting married. Rebekah is, for the first time in her life, in a promising relationship. Damon and Katherine are married and have a son. Elena is a published author.

And him? He's right back where he started.

Someone who would say and do everything to get in some girl panties. Someone who doesn't think about the consequences or the future at all. But before, all of that had a purpose, he enjoyed it, and now, it became a routine. It was his thing, something he would do, something that was expected from him to do.

Once upon a time, things used to be different. When he had Elena. She came into his life and she had changed everything. She showed him the real meaning of love, life, happiness.. even sex. She always thought he was the one who taught her everything she needs to know about sex, but actually, she was the one who taught him how wonderful it can be when it's not meaningless. She taught him how to not be selfish and to be considerate of your partners wishes, thoughts and movements. She was the only person he was ever synchronized with.

And then, she was gone.

As she left him behind, she took with herself everything she gave him with time. Except memories. No one could take memories away from him, no matter how much he wished otherwise. Sometimes he liked getting lost in them, but most of the time, they would hurt him. Because he would remember what he had, he knew there is something better, something more, and he could not have it. It's like standing in front of the gates of Heaven, seeing everything through the bars, but not being able to go in.

Having her in his life again, she made him wish all of those things back. He wanted to feel the way he used to feel. And he knew the only way for him to feel like that is if she was by his side.

He tried to hate her. He spent a lot of time trying to hate her. Then he tried to forget her. When he realized he can't, he tried to hate her more. But no matter how much he tried, he could never hate her. He loves her. He always did and always will. There's no other woman he will ever love as much as he loves her and he will never need or want anyone as much as he needs and wants her.

She's a part of him, and without her, he will always only be half alive.

He could not forget the way her voice cracked when they were trapped in the basement the other day. He tried to understand her reasons for breaking up with him. He spent a lot of time understanding her, and while his heart did not let him, after a while, his brain noticed him she had a point. Because being away from her had hurt him too.

Rebekah asked him would he forgive her, and he told her there's nothing to forgive. He wants to be with her. He never wanted anything else. But his pride was louder than his heart at the moment she told him she did not break up with Tyler to be with him.

Words coming out from her mouth were saying one thing, and her body was saying something completely different. The way she tensed when he touched her, the way she was trying to catch her breath, her moans when his lips met her skin. All of that indicated she wants him.

Maybe she never really moved on either. How she said she settled down for the second best, how with him she had a feeling everything is over and she did not want it to be.

When they were together, she did not feel like that. She said a few times how she has a feeling she found the love of her life at the age of 17, but with them, something new was always happening. With them, there was no ending.

True loves never do end, anyway.

**xxxx**

"Stefan" - she said his name silently, through a whisper, as if she was afraid the sharpness of his name would cut through glass. She knocked on his bedroom door, which were open a little, but there was no response, even though the light was turned on.

She pushed the bedroom door widely and stepped inside of the room. She thought he's ignoring her, that he's not answering to her callings on purpose. But as she stepped in the room, there was no one inside.

She buried her face in the palms of her hands. She had no idea what is she doing here. She did not have anything to tell him, not really, but she wanted to see him. She had to see him.

The memories of the other day were haunting her. His hands on her body, his lips on her skin. She almost forgot how good it feels like, but then again, the feeling was so familiar.

Just feeling his body pressing next to hers made her feel better than the whole act of sex with Tyler ever did. Stefan was the first one who brought her sexual side out, and to her it seemed he still held it in his hands. Part of her believed he always will. Or feared.

She feared she will never feel like that again, her whole life, unless if she's with him. And she doubted he wanted her after what she did to him. After the way she had hurt him, even if it was so many years ago.

He made her feel so.. confused. Their bodies were pulling them in, they wanted to mix together, like two ingredients of a recipe. But in the same time his body was fire and hers was ice and he had made her melt. It was so contradictory.

But then again, love is a contradiction itself.

Love? Does she love him?

She probably never stopped.

She probably never will.

And because of it she felt awful. And the fact he was feeling like this for the previous six years was destroying her.

She took a deep breath and looked around the room, hoping he would magically appear in front of her. He didn't. But something else had caught her attention. On the top of the dresser in his room was a book, and she would recognize the cover anywhere. Because it was her book.

She made a few steps in the direction of the dresser and took the book in her hands. He had her book. He had read her book. Something was sticking out of it. She opened the book and found a picture of the two of them on the page.. oh God.

She could remember writing this part. It was day after Tyler asked her to marry him. It was the day after she said yes, she would marry him. It was the day after Stefan flew in front of her eyes after she said yes. It was the day she spent crying because deep down she knew she said yes to the wrong man.

_'I fell in love with the way he was breathing, taking the air inside his lungs like it's a luxury. I fell in love with the way his eyes wandered over every little thing in his horizon, like everything is special, and new, and extraordinary. I fell in love with the way he walked, gently touching the ground that sometimes he looked like he's flying. I fell in love with the way he slept, like he's finally at peace. I was jealous of his dreams, because they were a part of him I could never know. I wish I knew he was dreaming of me before I made a mistake. I fell in love with the way he made love to me, like he's doing it for the first and the last time, taking not only my body, but also my soul and my mind to a place lot similar to wonderland. Making love to him was like sleeping on a cloud, riding on a rollercoster, flying, jumping off a cliff into an ocean, standing in the rain, walking in the sun. He smelled like happiness. I fell in love with the way he loved me.'_

She should have wrote that part while thinking about Tyler, but she didn't. She wrote it while thinking about Stefan. Had he known? How is it possible he did? How did he knew she wrote these words with him on her mind.

"Elena?" - she heard her name behind her back. She had put the picture where it was and closed the book. She turned around and saw him leaning on the frame of his bedroom door. The expression on his face was serious. And tired.

"You have my book" - she waved with the book in her hand. A small smile was apparent on her face.

He walked towards her and took the book out of her hand. "They were out of the toilet paper. Now, what do you want?" - he asked.

You, she thought, but she was not able to say it. She kept staring at him. He was the same boy he was six years ago. He did not look a year older than he did when she had seen him for the last time.

She inhaled, then exhaled, before shaking her head. "Nothing" - she said, trying to keep her tears in, at least until she gets inside of her room. She turned around in a hurry and left his room. She could have heard him calling her name, but she did not stop.

Not until she was stopped by him. He had put his hand on the wall near which she was walking by, making her stop. She turned around and leaned her back against a wall. He stopped in front of her. His eyes were locked on her lips. And so were hers. She wanted to be kissed by him so badly.

He raised his hand and she followed the movement of it. His hand landed gently on her cheek, and with his index finger he moved the lock of her hair that was hanging over her face. While doing so, he caressed her cheek with his thumb.

The door next to them flew open. "What the hell?" - Rebekah's head peaked out of the room. She looked from Stefan, to Elena, then back to Stefan. "Really Stef, really? While Heidi is in the room next door?" - Rebekah cocked his eyebrow at him.

Stefan straightened himself up and moved away from Elena who was still leaning against a wall.

He rolled his eyes. "Rebekah, it's Holly" - he said, silently judging Rebekah.

"Actually, it's Hilary" - Elena said.

Right, Hilary. Why does he keep forgetting that?

"I've sent her home today, actually" - Stefan said, his eyes locked on Elena's face. Her eyes grew wider as she took his words in.

"What? Why?" - Rebekah asked, pretending she's surprised, even though she was really interested in this sudden decision he did not share with her.

"Because it's not fair to her" - his eyes were still on Elena's face who was looking straight at him - "Since she's not the one I want."

"You got tired of having sex with her?" - Elena teased him, trying to push him over the edge.

He smirked before lowering his head down. "Actually, I've never slept with her" - his look went back to Elena's face to see her reaction. She was surprised and confused.

"Really?" - Rebekah asked suspiciously. That was hard to believe, even for her.

Stefan turned his look to Rebekah and furrowed his brows. "Yes, really. You know how those girls are. They're looking for a trophy, not a boyfriend" - he turned his look back to Elena. He did not want to miss her reaction. She was still staring at him in surprise. But she did not say anything. She did not know what to say.

Soon, the silence became awkward. He was staring at Elena, Elena was staring at him, and Rebekah was staring at both of them.

This wasn't leading anywhere.

"You know what, I think I'm going to turn in. Goodnight" - he said to both of them as he turned around and walked to his bedroom.

Elena closed her eyes and exhaled. She was so tired. So confused. So regretful.

"You are aware he's the one, aren't you?" - Rebekah cocked her eyebrow at Elena.

Elena opened her eyes and turned her head around to look at Rebekah. "Yeah, I know."

**xxxx**

**Will Stefan and Elena ever find their way back to each other?**


	30. Chapter 30

There is a loud knock on his bedroom door. He turns his head around to look into the direction of the door, but the doorknob does not turn, and the door do not open. There's another loud knock which surprises him. He thinks it's Rebekah, but she never knocks. He closes the magazine and puts it on the bedside table.

"It's open" - he yells from the bed after taking a deep breath in. The air is clean inside of his lungs, and he feels fresh, even though he's a little sleepy.

The door slowly open and her head peeks in. Her long, brown, silky hair is tied up in a messy bun. Too bad, he thinks, because he loves her hair falling over her shoulders, covering her neck, the tips of her hair touching her arms and back. But he enjoys this clear view of her swan neck and smooth shoulders. Her puppy eyes are locked on him, and she wiggles her little, perky nose which brings a small smile to his face. His eyes fall on her petite body, and he loses his breath somewhere between thinking how beautiful she is and how much he loves her. As he tries to catch his breath his body fills with familiar warmth which disappears because of the cold air in his lungs, and he wishes he loses his breath again. Or for her to take it.

She's wearing a baby blue nightie which is barely covering her thighs. He knows only a few centimeters separates him from the view of her panties, but he kind of enjoys not being able to see what's under it, but being so close. His imagination is like a wild horse, fast and restless, it roams through his mind like a stampede, leaving nothing behind. As his eyes wander all over her body, which is more beautiful than he remembers, she crosses her legs a little. His look goes back to her face and he can see she's clearly uncomfortable. She's blushing.

She always did blush, didn't she?

"Do you have a minute? I could use your help" - she says while keeping her eyes locked on his face. Blood red blush is still visible on her olive skin.

It was only then that he noticed a laptop in her hands. It's quite large, covering a better part of her petite body, especially her chest, and he wonders how could have he missed it before.

He has no idea can he help her, or what she needs help about, but he really doesn't care. She's in his room, asking for his help, and he's going to do everything in his power to help her with whatever she needs help with. So he's quick in saying "Yes, of course" with a big smile on his face.

She smiles even more widely and enters his room. Door fall closed behind her, silently, and she slowly walks to his bed. Her movements look like a slow motion video. He can clearly see the gap between her thighs as she walks towards him, and her nightie is a little bit more up her thighs, and he's hopeful to see what's under it, but no such luck. She falls on his bed, setting a laptop on his lap, and putting herself into a sitting position next to him.

As she did so, he got a good look at her cleavage. Win!

"I'm trying to write an ending to my book, and I need few medical facts, since I'm a little rusty with my Biology" - she giggles. She has such a sweet giggle. Somewhere in between of a child's first laugh, clap of the butterflies wings and smile of an angel. He wants to steal it from her throat and make it his own. He also wants to steal the smile from her face and hide it deep inside of his memory.

"Tell me what you need" - he says as he grabs an Oreo from the plate on his bedside table. He twirls it, opens it and licks the white cream inside before gluing it back together and taking a bite of an Oreo, halving it with his teeth. When he finally realizes she's not talking, he raises his head up to look at her.

She's looking at him with a delightful smile on her face which turns into a smirk when their eyes meet. "Good to see your Oreo obsession is still present" - she cocks her eyebrow at him, looking as adorable as ever.

He grins at her as he swallows a half of an Oreo inside of his mouth. "Like I could ever quit these little, precious drops of Heaven made in God's workshop out of angels sweat and fairy dust" - he had put other half of the Oreo in his mouth and swallowed it after chewing it for few times.

Elena laughs out loud with a laugh that could make angels cry and cure sick children. She has magic inside of her. "They're just cookies, Stefan" - she rolls her eyes at him as she stretches her hand out and takes one of the Oreos from the plate.

"Just cookies?" - he asks with an obvious displeasure in his voice. "She did not mean it like that" - he brings the cookie closer to his mouth and whispers and when she puts the whole cookie inside of her mouth, his face goes pale. "Outrageous" - he says through his teeth. "Did you forget everything I taught you?" - he asks seriously while shaking his head. She furrows her brows while chewing, she has to admit, best cookies a hand of man has ever made, and he takes another Oreo from the plate.

He twirls it, slowly, gently, so it doesn't break, and separates it into two halves. He does it perfectly so it looks like it's made that way. Years of experience. He brings one half of the Oreo near her face, and she raises her hand to take it, but he pulls his hand back and she looks at him confused. He has a smirk on his face, mischievous one, and he puts his free hand on top of hers and lowers it down. He keeps his hand on hers, which is now resting on her lap, and brings an Oreo to her face once again. He brings it close to her lips and she looks him in the eyes. His eyes are already locked on her face, partially on her eyes, partially on her lips, and she smiles at him. With a daring kind of a smile. Her look falls on the cookie, and she licks the white cream on top of it, raising her look a little and looking at him seductively. Her tongue rests on the cookie for a while, and he keeps looking at her in surprise. She takes the whole half of a cookie in her mouth, touching the tip of his fingers with her lips.

"You have a little.." - he says while staring at her lips. Her jaw is moving slowly and gently as she chews. She has a little bit of white, creamy stuff on her lips. "Let me" - he says after raising his hand and touching her lower lip gently with his thumb. Her look falls on his thumb that is still on her lip, and her whole mouth goes numb. There is a tightening feeling inside of her throat. She can feel her tongue trying to get out of her mouth because she has a feeling the inside of her mouth is too crowded, and the feeling is unpleasant. Her lips are stiff and cold everywhere but on the place his thumb rests. Her heart starts pounding faster inside of her chest, and she can feel the thumping sound inside of her ears. She wonders can he hear it too.

His finger falls from her lips, but his look remains. The feeling of his look on her lips is too intense, and she starts to blush. She's a little paler now, so the blush on her skin looks like blood on the snow.

His head starts moving, his lips are lowering on hers, safely and slowly. He gives her enough time to react, but she doesn't. She doesn't do anything but simply sit there. He raises his look up a little and notices her look is on his lips too. The look in her eyes is wide, and glossy, and expectant. His look falls back down on her lips as his lips collide with hers. He has a feeling his heart will pound out of his chest as his lips finally meet hers and the well known and missed feeling suffocates his mind. He closes his eyes and gives her a peck on the lips, but she does not respond. She does not pull back, but she does not give him a kiss back either. He's too afraid of opening his eyes and looking her in the eyes, so he gives her another peck, and another. And every time she does not respond, he can feel his heart sinking deeper into his chest.

And then finally, he forgets during which peck actually because he had lost count of them all, she kisses him back. A ghost of a smile appears on his lips, and she can feel it. His smile transfers to her lips, and she smiles lightly too. He puts his hand on her cheek, which is red and hot as fire by now, and cups her face. Her tongue parts his lips, and he lets her. Her laptop falls out of his lap on the bed next to them. She puts her hands on his chest, slowly lowering them and pulling them up his shirt, feeling his strong torso, the one she used to kiss and bite and scratch so many years ago. He growls into her mouth as their tongues intertwine into a passionate kiss.

He detaches his lips from hers and she protests through a silent whine, which lasts shortly, because his lips instantly fall on her neck. Few fast, wet kisses fall on her neck, and then he grasps the straw of reality, and those clumsy kisses turn into a long, erratic and intoxicating kisses. The veins in her neck start vibrating from the boiling blood that is coursing through them. He still knows all of the right spots, he knows them by memory. His hand falls on her shoulders and with his index finger he, very slowly, removes the straps of her nightie while kissing her neck. Goosebumps appear on her skin as he pulls his finger over her arms. His hand scrapes over her breasts, and she jumps a little. He notices it and his hands fall back on her breasts, slowly fondling them over her silky, baby blue nightie.

"I can't stop kissing you" - he murmurs into her warm skin.

She puts her hand on the back of his neck and starts playing with the ends of his hair. Her body pulls itself towards his, and by now, she's basically sitting in his lap.

"You don't have to stop kissing me" - she says with a heavy voice, her breath warm against his cheek - "I don't want you to stop kissing me" - she inhales deeply because her mouth is dry and her lungs are heavy inside of her rib cage.

He likes the sound of that so he puts his hands around her and squeezes her tightly. His lips go back from her neck to her lips and he can taste Oreos inside of her mouth. Oreos and.. "Mmm, strawberry" - he says while kissing her lips, and she smiles. She's still wearing her strawberry lip gloss, after all these years.

He picks her up and throws her on the bed. Her hands fly to his shirt, but he stops them. He grins and shakes his head. "Easy there" - he says as he loweres her hands on the bed. She looks at him confused. "First, I want to" - he grabs her leg and starts kissing it, starting from her knee - "Taste every part of you" - he continues with a husky voice while going up her leg.

He puts her leg back on the bed and loweres himself down.

He kisses her knee again. She tastes like.. honey? He kisses the place above her knee. Cinnamon? He reaches her thighs and his kiss lands where her nightie begins. Vanilla? He takes the edges of the silk that is covering her body and raises it up her body, above her panties. He finally sees matching baby blue silky panties on her, and his imagination suppresses. He feels relieved now. He goes back to kissing her thigh. He plants one kiss on her inner right thigh. Sunlight? Then another kiss on her inner left thigh. Raspberry tea?

No, she tastes like she had always tasted, and she tastes like his favorite taste, and smells like his favorite scent. She tastes like Elena, and she smells like Elena, and he can't get enough of her. She is inside of his mouth and nostrils and mind and heart and soul, and she's a part of him.

Maybe she owns him. Maybe he doesn't mind.

He kisses the top of her panties and she moans. He likes the sound of her moaning, which keeps buzzing into his ears. It gives him confidence because he knows he's doing this right.

His purpose was to give her everything, always, even if that would bare him to the skin and leave him with nothing. He knew she would shelter him.

He uncovers her stomach and plants few kisses around her belly button.

"Raise your hands" - he says softly, and she does as she's told. She did not have time to think or to ask why or to resist, because her brain had turned into a mush. He pulls her nightie over her head, and leaves her only in her panties, because he had noticed she's not wearing any bra.

He smirks and his lips land on her breasts which takes more moans out of her throat.

"It's a little unfair how you're still fully dressed" - she manages to make a sentence without moaning for a second.

He raises his head from her breasts only to see her endearing smile. She puts her hands on his arms and makes him lift himself up, and she lifts her body as well. She takes the edges of his shirt and starts pulling it up, over his head. He cannot will himself to stay away from her for so long, so his mouth lands on her breasts and he starts sucking her already hard nipples, very gently. But she puts her hands on his chest and pushes him away. Her hands fly down and she unzips his pants, and he gets free of them. She lowers her hand on his erection, and as she takes it in her hand over his boxers, she looks up at him and grins. She pulls his boxers down, and he does the same with her panties.

He wants to push her down on the bed again, but she forestalls him and pushes him on the bed instead. She oversteps him and puts her left leg on the other side of him and sits on his waist. Her head falls down and she starts kissing his chest, scratching him a little. She always was a scratcher, moaner and screamer. She enjoys him. She enjoys being with a man who doesn't feel emasculated when a woman takes control in foreplay, or better yet, sex. Stefan never had anything against her being in charge, as opposed to, he enjoyed it. Seeing her taking the lead, freeing herself, holding the strings in her own hands.

She pulls herself up and pulls her fingers through her own hair that somewhere along the way got free from a messy bun, and pushes it backwards. He likes this look on her. She looks wild and unconstrained, like an Amazon.

Finally, she lowers herself on him, and the pleasurable expression on her face while she's doing so only makes him harder, and she can feel it, so she smiles at him while looking him straight in the eyes. She starts circling with her hips and his hands land on them, fondling them, not so gently anymore.

And as they have sex, make love, fuck, call it whatever you want because neither of them care about the choice of words at this point, the whole world disappears.

At first, they felt earth opening under them, the planet shattering into pieces. Their bodies were shaking, but they did not fall into pieces. Then, there was no ground beneath them at all, but they did not fall, nor did they feel like falling.

Their bodies collided into one perfect mass.

Both of them almost forgot how good sex can feel. Elena almost forgot the charms of physical pleasure, and Stefan how much better sex is when you love the person. He loved her. And he was ready to shout it from the top of every mountain. But not yet and surely not now. When he says it again, he wants to see the look in her eyes, look which has nothing to do with lust.

Their bodies were like made for each other, like only one key is made for one lock. No one but Stefan could unlock the treasures inside of her mind and heart, and no one but Stefan could make her feel this earth shattering, mind numbing, deadly to her senses pleasure.

She could not see, hear, smell, taste or touch anything but Stefan, nor did she want to. They were trapped in a place where time did not exist, a place only tailored for them, their very own special place in the universe that was placed inside of their heads where no one could see it, touch it and where no one could destroy it. She always knew, no matter how hard she tried to deny it or fight it, that Stefan is the only one for her. She was lucky enough to meet the love of her life at the age of 17, and stupid enough to let him go only one year later. But at least now she knows there's nothing that can keep them apart. Not years, not distance, and especially not other people. Because there's no one else but Stefan and there never will be, and there's not supposed to be anyone but him.

Because they were Stefan and Elena, Elena and Stefan, and when they were together they shared one body, one mind, one soul. They were one, and apart, they could never be complete, never truly happy, never fully alive.

It was like these six years never happened. When he had kissed her, she took those memories away from him, and he felt like an 18 year old boy again, kissing her like he had kissed her five minutes ago for the last time.

He had put his hands on her breasts as she started quickening her pace. She screamed his name multiple times, and the scream was always followed by a satisfactory moan. She was smiling the whole time with such an addictive smile, like a junkie finally getting long awaited fix.

Both of them climaxed at the same time, and she fell on his chest, panting loudly. He had put his hand on the back of her head and started stroking her hair.

"I think we broke your laptop" - he said through laughter.

She tried to laugh too, but her laughter got lost somewhere in her inconsistent panting.

"So this is what I've been missing" - she turned her head around and kissed his chest, still trying to catch her breath. Stupid, stupid Elena.

"Better make sure you don't miss it ever again" - he smirked.

She lifted her head from his chest and looked him in the eyes. "Oh, we're going to do it again" - she gave him a peck on the lips.

"We are?" - he asked somewhat surprised.

She nodded her head. "Again" - she kissed his cheek - "And again" - her lips fell on his neck - "And again" - she came back to his chest. "We're not going to stop until I truly realize what I've been missing out on."

**xxxx**

**And they're back.**

**To let you know, this story will have only two more chapters, and one of them will be an epilogue. **

**Thank you all for your reviews, much appreciated :)**


	31. Chapter 31

They came back to the town a day before Nik and Caroline's wedding. The evening before they were about to head back to the town, Caroline had a little breakdown. Not because she's getting married, she's basically been married to Nik since High School. Not because he is the only man she will have to sleep with for the rest of her life, since he is the only man she ever slept with in her life. Not because she will be tied down by a piece of paper, or give herself to someone for the rest of her life, or have his children, because she knew, from the moment she met him, he will be the man she will spend the rest of her life with.

But because her mom called to inform her they delivered, by accident, red roses instead of white, and now it's too late to exchange them. White roses are Caroline's favorite flowers, they symbolize purity, and eternity. Elena and Rebekah spent nearly two hours trying to calm her down, explaining to her a red rose symbolizes love and passion. Plus, they're a classic, you can never go wrong with them since they go with everything, like a little black dress. Luckily for them, Caroline speaks the language of little black dresses, so they managed to calm her down.

Stefan and Elena decided not to tell anyone about them getting back together until after the wedding. Well, Elena decided, since she did not want to steal Caroline's thunder or wash her over with more news. She also did not know can she call what Stefan and her have been doing getting together. They were having sex every chance they would get, and if they weren't they would participate in heated make out sessions. She did not mind, but they haven't exactly discussed what this means for either of them. She knew what it means for her, and she could guess what it means for him.

Which is why, when she came back home and Jenna dropped million of questions on the top of her head, Elena told her she's back together with Stefan because she loves him, and because she never stopped loving him. Jenna was a fan of Stefan from the moment she met him, so she could not help herself but show her excitement about the two of them getting back together. Plus, she knew Jenna is able to keep a secret, so she saw no harm in telling her.

Elena was with Caroline in her church quarters, helping her to get ready, like a made of honor is supposed to. Caroline had a long, puffy, strapless white dress, which looked beautiful on her lean body. She had a tiara on the top of her head, and her naturally blonde curls were bouncing on her shoulders. She had only a little bit of make up, some blush, mascara and light, vanilla colored eyeshadow, since she decided to keep her natural look.

"Your dress is amazing" - Elena said while lifting the skirt of her dress up so she can help Caroline put her shoes on. Caroline had put her hands on Elena's shoulders and lifted her foot from the ground so Elena can help her to place a shoe on it.

Caroline pulled a wide smile across her face as both of the shoes were placed on her feet. Elena fixed Caroline's dress and stood up, looking at her. She really looked like a princess from a fairytale. She grabbed the dress with the tip of her fingers and lifted it a little from the ground, twirling in front of Elena.

"Thank you" - she said happily.

Caroline was always happy, excited, with a wide smile on her face. She was one of the happiest and most beat up people Elena has ever met. She couldn't remember the last time she had seen Caroline in tears that were caused by sadness, and even, in the rare times, when she was incredibly saddened by something, she would hide it behind a smile. But today, she was especially cheerful. She smiled brighter, and her eyes smiled alongside her lips.

Elena often dreamed about her wedding day, since she was a child. When she met Stefan, she was so sure she is going to marry him, and she could see every detail of their wedding. From her dress to the taste of the cake. Which is why she was surprised by her lack of the interest in planning her and Tyler's wedding. She bought the first dress that looked fine on her, and she couldn't have her dream cake because Tyler is allergic to walnuts.

But seeing Caroline being as happy as she is, Elena's dreams about her own wedding came back, alongside with her excitement.

"Elena?" - she said Elena's name silently while fixing her earrings.

"Yeah?" - Elena said, surprised by Caroline's tone of voice.

A light smile appeared on Caroline's face. "I'm really glad for you and Stefan."

Elena looked at her surprised. How does she know? Has Stefan said anything to Nik, or maybe to Caroline herself? Why would he do so when she asked him to keep it a secret?

"What do you mean?" - Elena decided to play stupid, since she was not sure Stefan even said anything.

Caroline chuckled at her friends efforts to hide the fact she's back with Stefan. "You do not have to play stupid with me" - she raised her eyebrow at Elena.

The lines of Elena's face softened. She knew there's no point in disputing it now. "How did you know?" - she asked with a light smile on her face.

Caroline raised her eyebrow some more while smirking. "Come on, it was pretty obvious. Last few days the two of you were gone at the exact same time, for the same amount of time. Stupid excuses you were making to leave the room, the scratches on his neck.. once, he even had his shirt backwards. Also, you screaming '_Oh Stefan, yes Stefan, more Stefan_' helped me to patch things up" - she winked at Elena, who, by now, was blushing.

"I did not want to - "

"Spoil my wedding" - Caroline interrupted her in the middle of her sentence, because no explanation was needed - "I know. And I love you for that" - she came closer to Elena and threw her arms around her neck, pulling her in for a hug. "I am really happy for you, though. You two are meant to be" - she squeezed her.

Meant to be. So it seemed like.

**xxxx**

After a lovely service, Caroline's tear jerking vows, and Nik's emotional ones, for which everyone were surprised because Nik was more of an action type than words type, they moved to Nik's house, where the party was being held, in the backyard.

Elena was excited to see Bonnie, and her brother, since she hasn't seen either of them for quite some time, and she spent most of her time with them.

Newlyweds were asked to step on the dance floor for their first dance, and after couple of minutes, the rest of the couples had joined them. Elena took a deep breath, stood up and came to Stefan, asking him to dance. He was a little bit surprised, but he was in no position to refuse her offer.

She took him by the hand and lead him to the dance floor and threw her arms around his neck. He had put his arms around her waist, the tip of his fingers colliding with the line of her spine. He pulled her closer to him and she pulled a smile across her face.

"You look absolutely ravishing" - he said while trying to check her out from head to toe. She was wearing tight, vanilla colored dress with a puffy sleeves which was barely reaching her knees. She had beige pumps on her feet which only made her legs look longer. His look was locked on her legs, which were, alongside her hips, a weakness of his. He loved her long and slim legs wrapping around his waist, and the skin of her legs was especially smooth.

She blushed under the intensity of his look.

"Likewise" - she moved her look to his while playing with the ends of his hair on the back of his neck. "You know, Caroline is onto us" - she said through a light laugh.

"How?" - he asked with a confused look on his face.

Elena blushed some more. "She heard us" - she said - "Well, she heard me" - she rolled her eyes.

Stefan cocked his eyebrow at her. "Well, you always were a screamer" - he chuckled lightly.

"I am not" - she had hit his shoulder with her open palm - "It's just" - she bit her lower lip before bringing her mouth to his ear - "You make me wanna scream. You make me feel like I'm going to jump out of my skin" - she moved her head back to look at him.

He was stunned. Surprise in his look was evident. It's been quite some time since she had left Stefan Salvatore speechless. She smiled, lowered her head and nuzzled her nose against his suit.

"Elena.." - he said her name very gently, which made her lift her head up instantly. There was a familiar warmth in his eyes, and she could have seen he's struggling with words.

But no words were needed. She knew exactly what he wants to say. She knew exactly what he feels. Because she felt the same.

She wrapped her hands tighter around his neck. "I know" - she nodded - "I love you too" - she said through a whisper, like she didn't want anyone but him to hear it. His eyes grew wider, and the more they grew, the more she fell in love with him. She leaned her head on his chest. "I've always loved you. Even during all those years we weren't together. I loved you and I tried to fight it off, but I couldn't. The more I tried the more I loved you" - she kept playing with the ends of his hair on the back of his neck. She raised her head to look into his teary eyes.

He leaned his forehead on hers, making their noses touch as well. "Do you ever think about where would we be now if you weren't so scared and if I weren't so stubborn?" - he asked her, hot stream of his breath covering her face, making her shiver - "Do you think we would be married by now? Have a child? Or more than one?" - his lips curved into a smile.

She inhaled deeply. "Maybe. Maybe not. It's pointless to think about it, really. All I know is that this, in your arms, is where I'm supposed to be. And we have all the time in the world for the rest."

**xxxx**

**A/N: For those who are asking, would you put on a silver nightie and go into Stefan's room without, at least subconsciously, hoping something will happen? ;)**

**Only one more chapter left.**


	32. Chapter 32

**EPILOGUE**

**5 years later..**

"Where's Stefan?" - Caroline asks while taking delicious, cinnamon Christmas cookies out of the oven. Somehow, she manages to burn herself, even though she's wearing oven mitts, and drops the plate full of cookies on the kitchen counter. "Damn" - she says silently, through her teeth, while removing the oven mitts from her hands and pushing her wrist under the cold stream of water. There's relief on her face as she does so. It's weird seeing Caroline in the kitchen, since she was never much of a cook. Now she's baking, cooking, mixing, everything that is required for a good meal, and she's actually good at it. Elena has no idea how to work in the kitchen. She's too slow and too clumsy, but fortunately, somehow, Stefan developed amazing culinary skills. Probably because Rebekah is worse in the kitchen than Elena, so he had to feed both of them during the time they were living together. While Caroline was busy with washing her wrist in cold water, Elena reached towards the plate of cookies, but it's like Caroline knew she's about to do such a thing, so she turned her head in Elena's direction and gave her one of those _don't-you-dare_ looks.

"He should be back soon. He said there's one more present he needs to take care of" - Elena said, wondering for who is this present meant to, since Stefan would not tell her a thing.

"Mommy!" - Elena heard a loud voice from the living room, voice that was coming closer to her with every passing second, repeating the same word - mommy. A little boy ran into the kitchen and wrapped his arms around Elena's leg, looking up at her with a scared look in his eyes. "Mommy, Tessa keeps saying I'm her boyfriend" - he pouts, his little bushy brows furrowing, a small triangle appearing in the middle of them.

Grayson maybe had her father's name, but he was a spitted image of Stefan. He inherited his father's green eyes, but most importantly, he also inherited the warmth behind them. Every time he would look at you, you would get that feeling like you're thankful he loves you, because he loves in a very special way. His hair was light brown, and in most cases messy, just like Stefan's, and he would hate when anyone touched it. His face was also blessed by Stefan's mile. He had nothing of Elena's, except her little perky nose, and if she did not carry him for 9 months, she would have doubts about him being hers. But Stefan says that's nonsense, because Grayson has something that makes him more of Elena's son than his. He has her heart. Elena would always smile upon hearing that, responding their son has a little bit of both of their hearts in him, a little sad Stefan still doesn't understand how amazing he truly is. But in the end, Elena was glad their son has more of Stefan in him, because this world needs more Stefan's in it.

Elena looked down at her son, smiling, when he tightened his grip around her leg harder when Tessa appeared on the kitchen entrance with a mischievous smile on her face.

"Tesssssssssssssssa" - Caroline said her daughter's name, prolonging the letter _s_ in it, like she's annoyed with her. Unfortunately for Caroline, Tessa was a flirt, something Caroline never was. At the age of 4, which was only one year older than Grayson, Tessa was a perfect mixture of Nik and Caroline. She was open and snarky like her father, had a posture of her mother, alongside her blonde, bouncy curls and deep sea blue eyes.

It's like Nik heard his wife's annoying tone regarding their daughter, so he hurried into the kitchen and took Tessa in his arms, carrying her out of the room.

"She's so hard to handle" - Caroline said, looking into the direction her husband and daughter went - "For me. Nik seems to know exactly what to do and say to her. He's golden daddy and I'm the wicked witch of the west" - Elena could see the hurt in Caroline's eyes as she kept speaking with a husky voice. Caroline loved her daughter so much, but Tessa was always asking for her father, and she allowed Caroline to do only basic stuff. She listened her because she was scared of her, or she was scared of the power Caroline had over Nik, and she hated when her father told her she did something wrong.

"It's always like that, Caroline" - Elena tried to calm her friend down - "Girls are closer to their dads and boys are closer to their moms, and as they grow up, it turns around. Before you know it, Tessa will be in need of her mom" - she smiled into Caroline's direction, and the lines of Caroline's face softened, the corners of her lips curving into a smile. Elena looked back down at her son who was still holding on to her leg, probably out of fear if he lets go, Tessa will be back. She knew her words are true, because when Grayson was born, no one was allowed to hold him but Elena. He would cry in everyone's arms, but hers. Stefan was not able to hold his son for little less than a year without Grayson fussing as he held him. Stefan was really destruct about the fact he can't even hold his child, and how every memory he will have is his son crying as he tried to take him into his arms. So everyone were surprised when Grayson's first word was _'dadda'_ instead of _'mamma'_. Grayson gagged on his two chubby legs into Stefan's direction, trying to climb into Stefan's lap. Both him and Elena were surprised. When the baby realized he's not able to climb on his father's lap, he raised his hands in the air, furrowing his brows and saying _'dadda'_ angrily. Without thinking, Stefan took him in his arms and placed him on his lip, kissing the top of his son's head, and Elena could not remember the last time she had seen Stefan so happy. If he ever was so happy. Love a parent feels for their child is a special kind of love.

"Daddy!" - Grayson yelled, letting go of his mother's leg, and running into Stefan's direction. Stefan was leaning against a door frame and smiling. He lowered his torso and opened his arms for Grayson to land in them, and when he did, Stefan lifted him up. "Where were you? Do you want to miss Santa?" - Grayson frowned while poking Stefan's nose with his index finger.

Stefan smiled at him. "I had to handle.." - he glanced at Elena - "That thing" - his look fell back on Grayson's face as he said '_that thing_' with a secretive voice, as if to give his son a hint. Grayson pondered a little before his eyes grew wider.

He cupped Stefan's face with his little hands and looked into his father's matching eyes. "Did you get the one I said you should?" - he asked silently, as it's a big secret.

Stefan smiled widely at his son's excitement. "Sure did, buddy" - he kissed his cheek - "Your cousin Logan is here" - he lowered Grayson on the ground, and he ran into the living room. Even though Logan was a little bit older than Grayson, the two of them got along pretty well. Katherine found out she's pregnant for the second time only few days after Nik and Caroline's wedding. Few months later she found out she's carrying twins, both girls. Now they were two hyper 4 year olds with long, curly brown hair, blue eyes to kill for, and a smirk that meant trouble. Two of them and Tessa in the same room was never a good thing. But Logan never got a chance to enjoy being and older sibling as his two younger sisters were stubborn and trouble makers, and Logan was always silent, shy and a golden boy. So Grayson was his perfect match, younger version of him. Stefan and Damon's parents would always say Logan and Grayson remind them of their sons when they were kids.

"Keeping secrets from me?" - Elena cocked her eyebrow at Stefan.

He shook his head. "Never" - he replied with a smirk on his face, while slowly walking towards her. He cupped her face, leading his fingers over her hot cheeks which were explained by the warmth in the kitchen - "Hey wife" - his lips landed on hers.

He could feel her lips curving into a smile while pressing on his. "Hey husband" - she said after their lips detached.

Even after being married for little longer than three years, Stefan and Elena keep calling each other by cute nicknames like _'husband'_ and _'wife'_ like they're newlyweds. Their relationship is so sweet it's sickening, according to Rebekah.

"Hey Emma" - Stefan lowered his hands on Elena's baby bump and smiled. Elena was in her second trimester pregnant with their second child. Elena glanced at Caroline who was in a perfect shape, looking stunning in her red velvet dress with lacy sleeves and opened back. After she gave birth, it seemed like her body popped in its usual shape, while Elena had to work hard to loose all of the baby weight. First few months she had no time because Grayson was not an easy baby and he always required attention, and since Stefan could not really help her to calm him down, she had to do it by herself. And when she had some free time, she would spend it sleeping, until Grayson demanded more attention. In those months her and Stefan's sex life was horrible. Not horrible, more like non existent. She would refuse to even undress herself in her underwear in front of him, and their frequent showering together which would be followed by sex was cut down to zero. After four months, she had all this sexual tension built inside of her, and she wanted to explode. Which is when Stefan caught her during her weakest moments and they made love for the first time after their son was born. He kept telling her how beautiful she is, and how proud he is of her, and how he never loved anyone as much as he loves her, and now when she's the mother of his child he loves her even more. He even told her how sexy she looks, squeezing her hips and pulling his fingertips over her stomach, which would make her uncomfortable because she could have felt little of extra fat she had left slipping in between his fingers. She did not believe him about the beautiful or sexy part, but that was probably the best sex they ever had. She did lose little extra weight she had left from childbirth when Grayson started walking and she had to chase him all over the house. And by the time she started feeling like her old salf, when Grayson was old enough to play by himself so she would have time for herself, she got pregnant again. She was wearing a low cut, black, baby doll dress, especially for Stefan, because her legs, and her breasts, especially during the time she was pregnant, were his favorite assets of hers. He said she looks most beautiful while she's pregnant.

"Oh, so first you know it's a girl, and now you know her name" - Elena cocked her eyebrow at him. They did not want to know the sex of the baby. They did not know it with Grayson, she they agreed the sex of this baby is going to be a surprise too. Stefan said he knows it's a girl. Elena knew it too, but she liked to give him a hard time, because she knew how much he wants a daughter. And she liked the name Emma, but she was surprised he did not try to make her call their child Oreo, like he did with Grayson. After she received her epidural.

"Oh, come on, both of us know it's a girl" - he rolled his eyes while slipping his hands on her back and pulling her closer to him.

"And what if it's not a girl?" - she asked teasingly, putting her hands on the back of his neck, playing with the ends of his hair.

He smirked. "Then we try again" - he kissed her playfully.

Try was a really bad choice of words, since they did not try to make either of their children. Elena is still not sure how she stayed pregnant with Grayson, since she was so careful. Her and Stefan weren't married, they only moved into their new home on which they spent a fortune on so they really did not have any money, and she did not want to bring a child in this world under such conditions. But somehow, it happened, and she was afraid of telling Stefan because they really did not discuss having children. But when she finally did, he was struck with happiness. With the second baby she was now carrying she was not careful because they both agreed on having more children and they wanted the age gap between them to be small, but they really weren't trying to get pregnant at any specific time. _"Magic Salvatore sperm"_ - Katherine used to huff while she was pregnant with the twins - _"You forget protection one time, and they pop in not one, but two babies into you."_

"And if I remember correctly, we still have to more to go after this one" - Elena remembered Stefan's wish to have four kids, one boy, and three girls.

"I do not understand how you guys think you will manage with four kids" - Caroline said, making her presence known - "I have a hard time with one."

Caroline had a point. Elena never thought about the number of children she wants. She loved kids, she loved being a mom, and she always thought she would have as many kids as circumstances allow her, until she feels it's enough. Her and Stefan's financial situation was more than good, and she had flexible working hours with grandparent service in town, but she often remembered what a heavy baby Grayson was. She knew there will be no problems with their second child, if anything, the situation will be reversed. Every time Stefan would talk to, or touch her baby bump, the baby would kick. Which made her believe she's carrying a girl even more. After all, no girl can resist a Salvatore.

Before Elena had a chance to reply on the matter, there was a loud thump of the front door, and they could hear a discussion about which Star Wars movie is the best, which meant Rebakah and Matt arrived. Matt proposed to Rebekah about two months ago in front of Grand Canyon. Now only Stefan's parents had to arrive, Jenna with her new boyfriend Alaric, who Elena liked very much, Jeremy and Bonnie who were flying from Los Angeles, and both of them had some news for them. When they arrive, Christmas dinner can start.

**xxxx**

After few hours the house was empty, with Elena, Stefan and Grayson curled up under the blanket on the couch in the living room in front of the television.

The Christmas dinner went very well. Everyone talked, laughed, the kids got together very well, even the usual trouble makers did not cause any distress, because most of the time they spent talking about what they wish Santa would bring them this year. Caroline could not understand how Elena is not the least curious about the sex of her baby, because when she was pregnant with Tessa, she could not wait to find out what she's carrying. Elena explained she is very curious, but she and Stefan agreed on not finding out, and she was not about to break that agreement because of her curiosity. To which Rebekah added, again, how her and Stefan's relationship is so sweet it makes her puke, and then they jumped on the plans for her and Matt's wedding which will take place in the October of next year. Rebekah, being special like she is, never dreamed of a summer wedding like most girls had, but fall wedding, when everything is wet and cold and all you want to do is to lie in your bed for the whole day with a good book and a cup of tea.

As it turns out, news Bonnie and Jeremy had for them are the same. They bumped into each other in Starbucks few months ago, one thing led to another, and now - they're dating. At first, Elena thought it's weird, since the two of them basically grew up together and did not notice each other until after all these years, but overall, she was happy for them. She could not wish a better girl for her brother than Bonnie, and she could not wish a better guy for her friend than Jeremy.

After everyone left, Stefan made three cups of hot chocolate, ten marshmallows in each, and brought them to Elena and Grayson who were discussing which movie they should watch. Elena was all for How Grinch Stole Christmas since it's a classic, but Grayson wanted to watch Home Alone because it was his classic. All three years of his life, even thought one of those three years he was not even aware he's watching a movie. Of course, Elena smiled at her son and popped the movie into the DVD player. After they finished their chocolate, Grayson climbed into Stefan's lap and cuddled next to his chest, which was a warning he's about to fall asleep. Stefan had put his hand around Elena's shoulder and pulled her closer to him, his fingertips scraping over her baby bump.

"I'm going to get him to bed" - Stefan said as he lifted Grayson of his chest and slowly and carefully placed his head on his shoulder after the movie ended - "You wait here" - he told her, disappearing from the room, not giving her time for questions, because he knew Elena would have a bundle of them.

15 minutes later he came back into the room. Their blankets were perfectly folded on the side of the couch, the tv was turned off, cups were gone, and Elena was sitting on the couch, with her legs lifted up and placed under her, and her eyes locked on her baby bump as she slowly caressed it. When she felt Stefan's presence in the room, she lifted her head and smiled into his direction. He smiled back.

He came closer to her and knelt in front of her, placing one hand on her knee, while the other one was reaching into the pocket of his jeans. "I know you never asked for it, or expected it. I know most girls care about it so they can brag to their friends, but not you" - there's a proud smile on his face - "Never you" - he continues. Never his Elena. He pulls his hand out of his pocket and there's a small, black box in his hand. He opens it, and her eyes sparkle - "But you deserve it. More than anyone, love, you deserve it" - there's a diamond ring inside of the box, ring most girls dream about since early childhood but never get, jewelry some people sell their soul for.

He says the word love so gently, so sweetly, but so slowly, like it's stuck in between of his lips, like he doesn't want to let it go, because when he does, he will have to share it with the world. And the word melts in the air as it travels to her ear, making her shiver under the intensity of his voice. Because she's not only his girl, his wife, the woman he loves, the woman that owns his heart, the mother of their children, person he's going to spend the rest of his life with, this one and the one that comes after this, she's also - love. She is everything he ever imagined love would be. Sometimes as gentle as a flower, and sometimes as sharp as a knife. It has its ups and downs, good and bad times, but no matter how many times the sun goes down, it rises again. And no matter how hard it was from time to time, the thought of giving up never crossed his mind. Not when she was pushing him away because of her insecurities, or when she was crying in his arms because of the silly thought he will be mad at her for getting pregnant, or when she was throwing things at him during her contractions, yelling how he did this to her, and how the first thing she's going to do when all this is over, is cutting off his penis. No matter how hard it was, it was never anything else than perfect. And most importantly, it was his. It was theirs.

When they decided to get married, they were basically broke, with a kid on the way. Stefan just finished his internship in the hospital in San Francisco, and since they decided to move back to the only home they knew, he accepted the residentship in Mystic Falls hospital. Elena was in between writing, and she was waiting to know will the publishing company extend her contract, or will this be her last book of the series. He knew he will marry her, one day. So they bought a parcel a little outside of Mystic Falls, in between the house Stefan grew up in, and the house in which Nik and Caroline lived in, and there he built a house. Elena's dream house, that was, giving her the first piece of eternity he had promised her. Thar project has left them dry financially, and they were living from paycheck to paycheck, which was, fortunately, high in Stefan's line of business. And then, Elena found out she's pregnant. Stefan did not want her to have a baby out of wedlock. Not because he'd be ashamed of it, he could not care less about other peoples comments. After all, they are living in the 21st century, and her giving birth out of wedlock would be a minor word problem. But it was a tradition, and Stefan was a traditional guy. And as they were dried financially, he had no money to buy her a proper ring, so he proposed to her with a plastic, red toy ring. When they married, both of them kept their simple wedding bands, but Stefan promised to himself one day he's going to buy her a ring she deserves. One that is equivalent of her beauty and charm and warmth of her heart, if there is a such thing.

He took the ring out of the box and held it in between his fingers. "I love you so much, 'Lena. You're everything I ever wished for. You're more I ever wished for. You have so much grace and beauty in your body than I thought it's humanly possible, and your heart is so big that sometimes I'm afraid it will pierce out of your chest" - he had put the ring on her knee and took her hand in his. He had put his fingers on her wedding band and twirled it around her finger for few times before taking it off - "You're my everything, sweetheart. You gave me everything. You taught me everything I needed to know. I love you unconditionally. You're my wife, mother of my children, the love of my life" - he took the ring that was resting on her knee in his hand - "If there's a life after this one, I will love you there. And if we're ever separated by time or space, I promise I will find you. Because I'm yours, and if there's no you, there's no me either. We belong together, we will always belong together, and there's not a power in this universe, or any other for that matter, that could keep us apart. Because no matter how far away I am, I'm always standing next to you" - he took her hand in his again, and looked up at her face. Tears were rolling down her cheeks, making them red and puffy. Her lips were parted a little, but the corners of it were curved into a smile. Her other hand was resting on her baby bump. He had put the ring on the tip of her finger - "This ring is not here to make you look classy, because you have more class in your little finger than all the other women on this planet. It's not here because it's expensive or because we can afford it. Even if we could not afford it, I'd starve, but you would have this ring on your finger. It's here because I love you. And because our son has an exquisite taste" - he makes her laugh lightly, and he also smiles as he slips the ring down her finger - "This ring is only a small fragment of what you really deserve."

She had put her hands on his and pulled him closer to her, and wrapped her arms around his neck, hugging him tightly. She cleaned her tears in the hem of his shirt. Then her lips met his, and she kissed him deeply, passionately, with sparks - the only way they knew how to kiss.

"Remember when I made you promise not to fall in love with me?" - she whispered into his lips, smiling.

He smiled back while giving her a small peck. "My darling, that is one promise I'm glad I broke."

**xxxx**

**First of all, thank you for reading this story and reviewing it, some of your comments really helped me, and I was always glad to read you like where I'm going with this, as much as I enjoyed a little of constructive criticism :)**

**So, this was the last chapter, and I hope all of you enjoyed it. I hope it was a proper ending.**

**Secondly, as some of you asked, I will be writing another story when I finish writing Beautiful Accident ;)**

**So, I hope I'll be seeing you there!**


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