AN: So this is a Mason/Elena friendship fic. I know, this isn't really a thing, but I kind of have this world where they're best friends, because I happen to think that Mason is awesome. There's a huge probability of me posting more from this universe, because I am ridiculously fond of it, and I have so much more to say about it. Reviews are always appreciated, enjoy.
The Sun Rises
Elena awakens to someone stroking her hair. The motion is soothing, and she almost wants to fall back into sleep, but curiosity gets the better of her. She opens her eyes. It's at the half-light before dawn, but Elena can see Mason's face clearly. He's crouched down next to the bed, his face level with hers. He gives her a tender smile but she can't quite return it.
"Mase?" she questions, still heavy with sleep. It's only been a couple hours since she'd finally drifted off, and her face is still wet with the tears she'd shed in her sleep. He wipes them away with gentle fingers.
They'd buried her parents the day before; she'd been surprised, but thankful that Mason had made it in time for the funeral. Although she still didn't know who had called and told him because it certainly hadn't been her, she hadn't been able to say the words out loud even in an empty room, let alone to anyone else. Her parents are dead.
He'd stood next to her the whole time, holding her hand when the only thing she could do was grip his with all of her strength. He didn't even flinch. She didn't know if that was a slight at her strength or a testament to his. Either way, she's glad he was there with her.
When he stayed after everyone else had gone home, she thanked whatever god there might be for his existence. She doesn't know what she would do without him. He'd been asleep on the couch when she'd wandered down at about two in the morning for a glass of water. He'd still been asleep when she went back upstairs to check on Jeremy and to try and get some sleep herself.
Mason stands and pulls her blankets away from her, offering her his hand. "Come on, Princess," he says in a low voice. She takes his hand, still confused and sleepy. He helps her into a standing position; it's still painful for her to move with her broken ribs. Pulling her throw blanket from the end of her bed, he wraps it around her and leads her to her window.
Confused, she follows, absolute in her trust of him. He opens the window and turns to help her up onto the window seat, he climbs through first, and then he helps her through, maneuvering them onto the side of the roof. He leads her up to the peak of the rooftop and sits down, pulling her down into his side.
She snuggles into his warm side and breathes in the salty fresh scent of him. "Mase?" she murmurs. He wraps an arm around her shoulders and kisses her hair.
"Yeah, Princess?" he responds against her hair.
"Why are we on the roof?" she asks, still confused and sleepy. She can feel him smile against her hair.
"Look," he says, pointing out at the horizon. She obeys, looking in the direction his finger points. Lines of crisp dark blue, dazzling azure blue, fiery orange, and golden yellow paint the morning sky. The sun is nothing but a thin slice along the horizon line. "That's why we're on the roof," he tells her.
"The sunrise?" she asks, sleepy and dazzled by the colors. He nods.
"Yeah, the sunrise," he states. She nods, still confused. It's a pretty sunrise, but she doesn't understand why they're here.
Her world had come crashing down only a couple days before and only the day before they buried her parents and she had to accept that nothing would ever be the same in her world, so she doesn't understand why Mason of all people would think that a sunrise would cheer her up. It's just a stupid star in their galaxy that comes up every day in their sky and goes down every night and she doesn't see what's so special about that.
Still, she doesn't voice her confusion; instead she simply settles in against his side and watches the sun slowly ascend the horizon. Mason is silent for a long time, waiting until the sun is almost all the way above the horizon line, and then he looks down at her. She cranes her head to look back up at him.
"You know why I want you to see this?" he asks her. She shakes her head. He tucks her messy hair behind her ear and smiles at her sadly. "I thought you might need proof," he says.
She makes a face at him, confused. "I don't understand," she tells him. He smiles.
"Proof that the world hasn't ended. The sun is still coming up in the morning, and one day it won't make your insides ache to know that the world is still turning even though it feels like everything should've stopped," he explains. Tears spring in her eyes and she's both sad and touched at the same time.
"Thank you," she says hoarsely. He wipes away her tears again and kisses her forehead. His words aren't coddling and sweet like all the things everyone else has been saying to her since her parents' car went off the bridge, but somehow it's just so Mason and that makes it more comforting than anything anyone else has said.
Only Mason would understand that maybe what she needs most of all is reassurance that the world hasn't ended after all. Her insides might ache more than her broken ribs, and her eyes might be red and raw and her heart sore, but the rest of the world has kept going, and she finds hope in that.
Mason begins, "your life has been changed forever, but every morning,"
"The sun will rise," she finishes, smiling through her tears. People get up every morning and go to work, children go to school, babies are born, people die, and Elena Gilbert will be okay. Someday.
AN: Thoughts?
xoxo
-Pixie