November 16, 2011
[Life's too short]
'Do you think anyone should live forever?' Her head was pressed against the cold glass of the window, watching her breath mark it.
Stefan sat on the edge of his bed, his arms resting on his thighs, his eyes resting on the bobble that was holding her hair into a perfect ponytail. He opened his mouth to reply, but hesitated. 'I know what I am suggesting is a lot'
She slowly turned to meet his eye, taking in the face of the man she was contemplating spending forever alongside. Her face fell into a frown, 'Can't I have some time?' practically begging.
'Time, Elena, that's the problem. We're running out of time.' He looked into her teary eyes, watched her as she sat beside him, he took her hand and stared at it for a moment before looking back to her, 'You are running out of time... If you want a human life, we have to part ways.'
'I want you, Stefan'
'I can't give you your humanity.'
'I don't know what to do' she squeaks sounding panicked.
He watched the first tear fall down her face, 'You know your options, as hard as it may be, you have to make a choice' Placing a hand on her knee he brushes it gently with his thumb, as if to bring her some comfort. 'You deserve a life of happiness and joy and love, with children at your feet and a husband at your side.'
'Is it wrong that I want that life with you?' Elena replies quietly looking at her feet.
It brings a smile to his lips at the thought of it, 'No, but it is impossible'
She stands up walking back to the window, her response is quick and desperate, she pleads 'We can try, we have to, after everything we've been through, after everything we have done... we have to try'
'It means turning you to even attempt a life like that. What if we can't after all? What if we don't work? Then what?'
She looks at him head shaking, mouth open; willing the solution to come out. He looks away from her, 'It means watching everyone else you love die; don't you think you have lost enough people already. Your life has the opportunity to go back to how it was, before you met me, the simplicity. It can go on like the past ten years never happened'
She steps closer and kneels in front of him 'My life...' she struggles to find the words '...has been... like a dream..'
'A nightmare' he cuts her off, still refusing to look at her. 'Because of me. I don't want to lose you as much as I don't want to turn you into a living statue.' He quickly brings his head up to look her in the eye, startling her 'That's what it's like you know, frozen in time, but you're still living. The world it changes but you're still exactly the same, always the same. You forget what it is like to be human; I don't want you to forget, Elena.'
'Stefan...'
'No, I don't even know why I suggested it. I can't do it to you, I won't.'
He gets up and walks across the room, he needs to be away from her. They stand there for a long moment, just staring at each other, both of them replaying the last few moments in their head.
'Don't you want to spend forever with me?' she says desperate to break the silence. He looks at her like it was the most ridiculous question he had ever heard, well it was. 'So that's it, I don't get a choice anymore' she follows, slowly growing angry. He stays silent. 'STEFAN!' Drawing a response she is anxious for, 'There aren't any options' He walks over to her and places his hands around her face. 'Your life must continue without me. Know I will love you for the rest of mine' He painfully breaks away from her and looks at the door as if telling her to leave. She knows it's best if she does, so she makes her way to the door. At the last moment she turns to him and says 'Can you imagine what it would have been like if you had simply been human when we met?' With that she turns and closes the door behind her, not waiting for an unexpected response.