Disclaimer: I still do not own Vampire Diaries or any of its characters.
Out in the world they are like any other couple. They hold hands. They grin at each other and laugh at their shared jokes. They show minor displays of public affection. But it is at night, alone in his room on his bed, where they become their true selves. She becomes she and he becomes he, and together they become whatever they need to be for each other – friend, confidante, counselor, lover, nurse, teacher. They wrap themselves up in their respective roles and share whatever needs to be said, whatever needs to be done.
Some nights, while she hugs a pillow and he sits cross-legged, he talks about his life before her. About the places he's been, the things he's seen. She becomes entranced by the tales he weaves of eras found only in her history textbook. Places and people that time has all but forgotten. He tells her of art and literature, inventions and movements, sparing her the gory details. He tries to give her enough to paint a picture but not enough to haunt her dreams. He figures she sees enough of the ugliness of the world without him adding more about times that no longer exist. It's his way of contributing.
He listens patiently, while on his back, while she whispers about her parents. The pain and heartache. The missed moments and how he would have liked them. She tries to hold it together, tries not to cry, but he can hear it in her voice. Tears she won't let fall. He pretends not to notice and lets her think she's slipping one by him. She knows better but lets them pretend anyway.
He smiles with her when she shares stories about her childhood and nods demurely as she talks about Matt. About their comfort. About her first time. He's not jealous in any way, and she loves that but secretly wonders why. He knows that the boy is no threat to him and is grateful the boy took such great care of her until he was able to arrive.
They continue like this until one of them falls asleep. Once the dawn breaks so does their sharing. That is their unspoken rule. They go about their days as always, school and homework, classes and tests as if the nights don't happen.
But secretly they wait for the sun to set, for the stars to appear. For the moment when secrets are whispered across the span of years in the dead of night.