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All At Once


When he re-entered the 'Southern Comfort' his eyes immediately sought out Klaus. He wasn't looking for any approval, he told himself, forcing himself to believe it. He only wanted to make sure that the hybrid didn't go after Damon himself.

He saw him immediately, over by the pool table, Ray sprawled out on top of it. Klaus had clearly gotten out of him what Stefan couldn't and he told himself he didn't want to know how he'd done it and in such a short amount of time.

The blonde had his wrist torn open, blood flowing freely down his pale flesh and into the unwilling werewolf's throat. The werewolf was bucking up against him trying to escape and Klaus was saying something to the general population of the bar but Stefan didn't hear any of it. All he could focus on, all he could see and smell was the original's pale wrist and the thick red substance flowing out of his veins.

He shook himself, as the hybrid snapped Ray's neck, killing him instantly for what he assumed was step two of the turning process. Klaus looked up at him then. He was amazingly self-assured for someone who seemed to have thought earlier that he wouldn't return.

"You're back."

He felt bitter as he strode towards the older vampire. "Did you doubt me?"

"Not for a second." For a moment, Stefan felt pleased before he pushed it away, annoyed.

After that Klaus, sounding just as bitter as he himself did, managed to push exactly the right button – as he always does – in saying that he still cared about his brother, about his old life. It was the most irritating thing to Stefan about this entire deal. If only he could switch it off, to forget, to not feel anything, it would all be fine – better. But he couldn't. As hard as he tried he couldn't help but care about Damon, just as he always has.

Instantly he felt the same bitterness rear it's head again. "I don't care about anything anymore." He choked out, striding over to the bar, just so he didn't have to face the other.

"You put on a good show Stefan, I almost believed you. Let's hope for his sake that your brother does." He could feel Klaus' presence right behind him, his breath on his exposed neck. Close enough to bite. Stefan inhaled sharply and couldn't help but close his eyes.

As the blonde whispered in his ear, "You never stop caring about family, do you?" His heart began to ache. And as the original began to whisper that every time he feeds it will get a little easier, he couldn't help but feel hope despite himself. Klaus always knew exactly what to say, and though he was saying it out of spite and bitterness, it was exactly what Stefan needed to hear. Something that he needed to hold on to. To hope for.

He stared back at him dispassionately, a million emotions flickering through his eyes before standing abruptly and quickly making his way out the bar, feeling Klaus' eyes burning into his back all the way to the door.

The fresh air hit his face, his enhanced senses telling him that it would rain soon, but nothing could distract him from the images in his mind. The things he'd done. What he'd done today far outweighing anything of the past three months.

He'd killed his brother's girlfriend. Sure she was compelled but Stefan knew that on some level Damon did care for her, if only for her companionship – he wouldn't have kept her around otherwise. Other faceless, nameless people he killed didn't matter, but this, this affected his family. The one he was trying to protect by doing all of this. The one he was still trying to protect. He needed to convince himself that he was doing the right thing, that he was still inherently good.

In that moment he'd never felt more like Damon, like he completely understood him finally and yet, so estranged from him at the same time. Killing the reporter hadn't mattered at the time, all that mattered was keeping his brother safe, he was just trying to make sure Damon wouldn't follow him, because damn it, he couldn't help but care about him.

Reliving the look on his brother's face over and over, he forced back the urge to cry. The stinging in the corners of his eyes something he hadn't felt since Lexi had died. He ran a hand through his hair and pulled, hard enough to hurt.

And god it was Elena's birthday. He had barely even spared her so much as a thought in the past few days and a part of this was for her, still is for her as well. He took out his phone and dialed. He thought, no he knew, that if he could just hear Elena's voice, that she could fix it. That she could make him feel hope, that he'd done the right thing in trying to protect them.

Hearing her voice for the first time in months he finally let a tear slip. He hated being so weak, but Elena, Elena was another person that always knew exactly what to say and still did, even though he hadn't replied, hadn't even confirmed it was him. He could hold onto her love. The fact that someone knew he was trying.

He was doing the right thing, he had to be.

His lip was trembling as he finally lowered the phone from his ear, not having said a word. They would probably spend a couple more hours here before Klaus would want to move out. They'd feed first, then find somewhere to sleep for the few hours they needed.

It seemed the bar had a few rooms out back that were probably for truckers that needed an overnight stop and Stefan assumed they'd just use them, he'd already compelled most of the patrons anyway.

He re-entered the bar only to have Klaus appear in front of him, much faster than even a vampire eye could track. His baby blues studied his face intensely and Stefan considered the fact that his eyes might be reddened from the effort of holding all his emotions in. He sucked in a breath as the original reached up a hand before seemingly thinking better of it and dropping his arm silently.

He brushed passed Stefan and led him back out into the parking lot following a young brunette girl who'd just exited the same way. "Time for dinner."

Stefan didn't say anything, preferring to remain silent and just follow. He always did this, as if to get a rise out of Stefan. Instead of taking any easy target and just feeding he made a target out of young girls or the like because he knew that it would get Stefan all wound up. Still brooding, the younger vampire only looked up when Klaus stopped walking, the girl boxed in between two cars, one of them seemingly hers.

Klaus grinned as the girl rifled through her bag, presumably searching for the keys as he raised a set in his hand. "Looking for these?"

Her head shot up, startled. "Wha-?"

Stefan didn't let her finish. He didn't want to scare her, he didn't want to see her fear or the look in her eyes when she knew it was hopeless – that she was going to die. He appeared behind her in a second, clamping down on her neck and tearing into her jugular. She was dead before she knew what had happened.

"Stefan, you're ruining all my fun." Klaus said, though the small smile he wore said he was amused at least.

He looked up at the hybrid, his mouth hanging apart, dripping with blood, black veins straining against the skin around his eyes. The gaze he then received set him alight, it was as if the look in Klaus' eyes had set fire to every vein in his body. It was somehow heated.

He stared as Klaus strode towards him where he stood holding onto the girl, seemingly entranced.

The hairs on the back of his neck rose, they were close enough to touch. He stared back into blue eyes, unable to turn away. There was a flicker there and he seemed to move closer, then in a second it was gone and Klaus launched his fangs into the other side of the girl's neck and began to feed.

Unable to resist the flowing blood now that he wasn't focused on the other he went back to feeding, suddenly ravenous. Unlike many times before though he was aware of what he was doing, never loosing himself. He caught Klaus' eyes again over the neck of the girl and fumbled, letting the girl go and stepping back, gasping as he the force of what he was doing hit him all at once.

The older vampire stopped, dropping the girl and looking at him curiously.

Stefan stared back into his eyes wondering why the hell he couldn't just stop feeling?

He tried to use his vampire speed to get away, to go as far as he could – anywhere but here, but Klaus was an original and he was far quicker than him. An arm thrown out practically coathangered him before he could even see it in his path and he fell to the ground but was up within seconds.

He tried to dodge around Klaus again, all at speeds that would be a blur to an ordinary human, but probably seemed like slow motion to Klaus because he'd barely even shot passed him when he was caught around the waist by a strong arm and hauled backwards.

He felt warm blood dripping from Klaus' mouth behind him onto his neck and down his shoulder, eyes burning intensely at the side of his face.

"I don't understand Stefan, why you can't just enjoy yourself."

He refused to answer, remaining stubbornly silent, the solid arm still present around his waist preventing any further chances at escape.

"You shouldn't waste blood Stefan," was whispered in his ear, "it's what makes us stronger." As if to back up his statement, the original mouth then covered his throat, tongue clearing up the blood that had been dripped there and setting his veins on fire all over again. Stefan groaned, tilting his head to the side as fangs scraped his neck before freezing completely – mortified.

A second passed as he stood still, not moving an inch and then suddenly; he was alone.

He turned around to the empty car park, gasping, pulling a hand up to run his fingers over his throat.

"What the hell just happened?"


Y/N? (: