AUTHOR NOTE: Hi guys! Thank you for taking the time to read this— it's my very first fanficiton I've ever written so I'm not sure how well you guys will like it, but I hope it all works! Anyways, continue on and read! AND AGAIN, I hope you all like it! AHH! 3

-Hannah

Corner of Your Heart

by FideleAmour

Summary:

It has been two years since Stefan Salvatore has left Mystic Falls after Elena Gilbert chose his brother over him. Since then he has failed to see anyone nor make any sort of contact with those whom he used to cherish and love so dearly; that was, until he arrived to one of his favorite bars in New York City and saw one of his favorite blondes sitting there waiting for him. Caroline claims to have been there for Elena— but is it true? Has she really sought after the Salvatore all of this time to bring him back to her best friend, or does she had her own agenda planned for him— Even one that she doesn't even realize she has?

The veil of night washed over Stefan's physique as he briskly moved at a somewhat inhumanly pace through the streets of New York. The familiar taste of human blood still lingered upon the edge of his tongue, but he wished for nothing more than for it to wipe away. There was nothing he had hated more than to give into his temptations and feed upon the innocent... yet, over and over the dire need to feed had begun to take over his mind until he found himself giving way to his untamed animatistic side. The vivid image of the girl lying within the alley that he had just departed from still haunted his mind. He had killed her... Stefan had murdered yet another human being. He wasn't quite sure how he could hope with this, but then again, there were still a lot of things he didn't know how to cope with. It had been more than twenty years since he had decided to leave Mystic Falls after the infamous Elena Gilbert had chosen his brother; Stefan was never one to break a promise, but the looming essence of failure filled his chest when he thought back on those years. In same way, he had wished that he was had fought for the Doppelganger. That somehow, he would have been able to convince her that he had been the right choice… That last night he had seen her was like a memory which would constantly replay within the back of his mind. She had been so close to his heart; yet she had no longer wanted him. Stefan Salvatore was useless to her now and the only thing he knew he had to do was accept that.

Which was why he had traveled. Paris. Moscow. Madrid. Every place you could think of on the globe which held some sort of fascination to humans, Stefan went there attempting to find his peace. It had been much like Lexi said— He was a vampire therefore there were many possibilities for him to have many epic loves; however, there was still the voice in the back of his mind reminded him that he did not need love to make him happy in his life. He had lived over a hundred years and within that time he had managed to some how be happy without any trace of Elena Gilbert in his life. Except, when those days had occurred, he had been the ripper, menacingly murdering victims to his own dispense.

Those days are over now. It is all over…

Inhaling a deep breath, he continued down the empty walk way towards the small hole in the wall that he had normally found himself within every night since arriving in New York. The people there had been kind to him, never once questioning why it was that he reappeared night and night again without fail. The bartender— an elderly man by the name of Fredrick— had somehow in an odd way reminded him of his brother Damon. Perhaps it was the reckless youth that still coursed through the man's veins or his constant need to self destroy within any fear of consequences. It was admirable, and something Stefan really had missed… Maybe that was why he felt the need to continuously return. As he finally reached his destination, the vampire pushed open the door to the establishment with a sort of familiar spring in his step. Whatever thought he had spiraling within his mind now would all need to erase if he had eased them away from his muses. Nothing was going to ruin his time tonight...

After all that had transpired hours ago, what he really needed was to relax and not think about things. Things from his past, and things that could ultimately haunt his future.

As he walked inside the joint, the vampire was once again met with the same faces. There was a Fredrick of course, and then a common drinker who would sit at the bar and ramble on about the government and things that they were all doing wrong— this man-made Stefan smile. Not for his words, but for the ironic fact that this random drunk thought he could do better than the trained people. There had also been a young African woman who also came in every evening trying to hit up some of the local men. A time or two she had done her routine with Stefan, but he never charmed him. Luckily, she had quickly gotten that hint and moved onto new prey. Then of course new people had come from time to time. Each one of them neither holding any importance to his life nor gaining his attention.

"Stefan, my friend!" The regular male vocals boomed from the head of the establishment.

"Freddie!" He called out in return with a light hardheartedness filling his façade. Stefan knew that this place could never be the home that he had in Mystic Falls, only a mere stop along the road; yet, he knew somewhere within his heart that he might miss the few people he had gotten to know here. The elderly man being one of them. As he slid himself into his regular bar stool, his emerald hues gazed over to the man. "How have you been? Anything exciting happening since the last time I saw you?"

"You mean yesterday?" The man joked as he went onto fixing Stefan his usual drink. As the vampire gazed at him, he could tell something had been off. "I could hardly say that much has been happening here, except someone came around here earlier asking for—"

He didn't even have a second more to finish his sentence when Stefan butted in. "Someone was looking for me? Who? When?" Panic was quick to course through the emerald eyed immortal. No one had known where it was that he had been staying. He was damn sure of that. Every chance he got, Stefan was quick to cover his trails so that no one would find him... No one from Mystic Falls, that was. It wasn't like he had been in hiding really... That wasn't the case at all. Stefan would have just really rather avoid any chance he could have made seeing someone from his home. With his thoughts running rapid, he had barely noticed the flickering eye movements of Fredrick as they darted towards something behind him.

It hit him all at once— the delightful aroma of cherries and vanilla that only one individual had been able to mix together so idyllically. As much as he loathed the thought of someone finding him, he couldn't deny the fact that having this one person here was better than anyone else. He didn't even bother to turn his gaze around with the blonde spoke out to him in her melodic chiming tones: "It's me, Stefan... Caroline..."