AN: This FF happens after that depressing scene where Elena and Stefan are sitting on the steps of her house and realize that they have to call it quits. Funny, that it wasn't until that moment that I realized that I had been so focused on wanting so badly for Damon to get the girl that I forgot it would mean breaking Stefan's heart.

I didn't really have time to make sure there are no typos or errors, so I am sorry about that!

Stefan got up from the steps in front of Elena's house because he couldn't take another second of the oppressing silence that followed them agreeing to break up. He felt laden with sorrow, but he tried to give the girl who was no longer his girl - but that to him would always be - a reassuring smile as he turned around and walked silently away.

He moved with the practiced ease of too many decades walking this earth, but every step was a struggle.

All Stefan wanted to do was to turn around and beg Elena to stay... He no longer cared if she loved only him, or his brother, or the entire football team... None of that seemed relevant now that they had ended things. No, all that Stefan cared about was that he loved Elena and couldn't imagine life without her... But this wasn't really his choice to make and the truth was that Elena had let him go a long, long time ago, even if she had only said the words now...

The even more bitter truth was that he had allowed her to, made her, let him go... First by sacrificing himself to save Damon which only made her and his brother bond further, then by pushing her away repetitively, followed by almost scaring her to death with his ripper antics and, finally, by giving her an ultimatum to choose when he knew perfectly well she couldn't... Coming to terms with being the instigator, the cause, of Elena letting go of their "epic love" ( "Stupid word" - he muttered to himself ) made it all sting much much more.

.

.

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Elena watched Stefan walk away with a heavy heart but that was no doubt much lighter than his... She had never wanted it to come to this... Elena had truly tried her best to remain in love with Stefan and only him. She had taken plausible deniability to extremes as she fiercely tried to deny her feelings and her attraction for Damon over and over again. But once Stefan asked her to tell him she didn't feel anything for Damon he had opened the proverbial Pandora's Box and she couldn't, wouldn't, shut it back again.

It was not that she didn't love Stefan, because she clearly did, deeply and painfully and forever too. She would always love him and he should know that… even if he didn't. The point was that she loved Damon too and, more importantly, could not resist him any longer. She knew that this mere fact meant that she couldn't be with Stefan for another second.

Damon had loved her through it all, her puppy love phase with Stefan and the "I hate you for killing my brother" phase, through all her stubbornness and self sacrifice attempts, through her "let's rescue Stefan" and "lets rehab Stefan" phase and through Denver and her dying and becoming a vamp too. Damon would have her anyway she came, damaged, grieving, emotions switched off, even half in love with his brother... Stefan however wasn't like Damon… He would never settle for the same. He wanted her whole heart and she didn't have it anymore to give... So Elena had to let Stefan go even if a chunk of her heart left with him... She couldn't keep him chained to her side anymore…

Tired of thinking, or rather, tired of moping, Elena too got up and decided to walk to the boarding house and share with Damon "the good news". Elena snorted aloud at the ridiculousness of her predicament. Nothing felt good about it...

"Hey Damon, guess what? I'm finally all yours, taraaa"- she said out loud with contempt - "No, no, it is not a joke. Just go check on your brother. His broken heart should be confirmation enough that I have finally chosen *you*. Surpriiiiise! Isn't this sooo much better than being like Katherine and loving you both?" - she finished bitterly as she stomped through the underbrush trying to reign in her temper.

There was no logic in being angry for having to break up with Stefan Elena told herself. After all she had chosen, and there was no point in choosing if you didn't embrace the choice. And Elena would be dammed if she would allow Damon to doubt for one second that she was all his.

Damon deserved better than feeling like second best or receiving less than her full commitment, so Elena schooled her feelings and committed her whole self to belonging to Damon with all the heart she had left in her; the part that loved Stefan would just have to shut up and hide in a corner out of view.

Lost in her thoughts, Elena didn't notice the two witnesses to her outburst. Caroline looked up at Damon with a frown, taking in his hollowed out expression. Tentatively she placed a comforting hand on his shoulder and was beyond surprised when he didn't shrug it off.

"Damon I..."- she started.

"Don't." - he bit out quietly but firm and looked at her with pleading eyes.

Caroline understood and just nodded.

"Do me a favor Blondie."

"Anything."

Damon allowed a smirk at Caroline's eagerness. Had he looked less broken she would have been irritated, as it was, she waited quietly for his request.

"Go check on my brother. Try to stop more lines crowding that brooding forehead of his ok?"

Caroline smiled at Damon's demonstration of love for his brother but didn't call him on it.

"On it boss." - she quipped and sped away in a blur of blonde locks.

"Thank you." - Damon replied quietly, hoping she would hear him anyway.

AN: More chapters coming soon. Hope you liked it. xoxo