A/N: So part 2 is finally done! This is kinda short and not very steroliny but I wanted to put things together at first. Next one is supposed to be long and pure Steroline. Enjoy! :))
… …
He groans against the pillow as he hears the curtains being opened. He doesn't bother to look up , he knows it's her. Again.
"Wake up, sunshine." Her voice shatters any idea of going back to sleep. He got rid of that voice years ago, and god can't he just kill her again?
It looks like no, since she's the last thing remaining from his brother. And she's the only one helping him to get him back.
"Wake up." She shouts this time.
He looks up and his eyes hurt him, seeing her blond hair shinning under the morning light.
"Just because we're working together doesn't mean I'm gonna clean you up. Ugh how are you living in this place?" She says with such disgust as she looks at the room. She can barely see the floor in the middle of all the empty blood bags, empty beers, clothes all over the place.
"I killed you once, I can do it again and I won't think twice."
His voice is muffled with sleep. Yet the threat works just fine.
"Great, but first you should come up with an excuse to tell your brother when he asks about me." She wiggles her eyebrows with her arms against her chest.
"Funny thing he told me not to kill you." She rolls her eyes.
He groans again and switches his head so he isn't facing her. But she has no time for Mr. Damon not being a morning person.
"I said wake up. We gotta work." It's only two seconds before she pulls the covers off of him, and for her relieve he's decent.
"Hey." He shouts with anger as he leans on his elbows, facing her.
"If you want to see me naked, you should ask."
He gets smashed with a pillow in the face as a response.
… …
Elena Gilbert walks into her first class with a big smile. The class is empty but Alaric is already there, being the professor and all.
"Morning." She smiles.
"Hey." He manages to say after a loud groan.
"You okay?" Her eyebrows get furrowed as she observes the coffee in his hand.
"Hangover."
"Huh… So, I get that you and Damon had fun last night." She tries to hide her need to know some information but it's still awkward.
"Well, if by fun you mean drowning into depression… Then yeah. Totally." He smiles.
She presses her lips, deciding not to go any further. What a way to start your first day at school?!
… …
"Hey, Tyler."
He turns around and sees Elena Gilbert running towards him, passing through people getting out of classes. The hall is crowded right now.
"Elena." He greets her back with a smile.
"So," She beams as she holds him a poster of the football match. "Wanna come?"
"You don't even like football." He shakes his head.
"I don't. But I like drinking free beer before the game." She smirks and winks at him.
"I don't know, Elena." He sighs.
"Come on, Ty. It'll be fun." She sighs too. "We'll tell Matt and we can hang out together." She whines.
"I'm not sure that Matt is available for us, he got some training tonight."
"Someone really should give him the memo that Mystic Falls couldn't be any safer right now." She remarks as she still doesn't understand what he is doing.
"Well, that 'someone' won't be me."
"Anyway, that actually means that you have to come. Come on, Tyler. I'm bored. When was the last time we had actual fun?" She raises her eyebrow at him and feels victories that he can't remember. "Besides, Liv will be there." She nudges him and he can't help it but smile.
"Don't you think it will be insensitive? I mean, what if the sheriff knows? That will be awkward." He whispers as if he's saying something forbidden.
She shakes her head with a sigh.
"Tyler, it's been four months, I'm sure the sheriff wants us to live our lives." She pauses with a smile. "I'm sure Caroline would want that too."
"And Stefan." He raises his eyebrows.
"Yeah, I mean both." She nods quickly.
"And what about Damon?"
He asks as he turns around, now both of them walking side by side. He feels her tensing for a moment before she answers.
"Damon is not Damon anymore, or maybe he is. I don't know." She shakes her head. "All what I know is that he doesn't care about anything except getting Stefan back." She sighs.
"He's his brother, Elena."
"It's been four months." She stops in her spot, making him turn to face her in return. "I'm just getting worried, you know?"
He nods in understanding.
"Hey did you hear from Bonnie?" He asks with raised eyebrows.
"Yeah, we talked yesterday." She pauses as she catches his look. "And no, I didn't tell Damon."
"I didn't say anything." He raises his hands in defense. "I just find it weird that he's getting mad trying to find her and you're not even telling him that you talk."
"Now you're team Damon?" She asks with much confusion, eyebrows furrowing and eyes narrowing.
"No, but I'm team bring Stefan and Caroline back."
"She can't help, okay? Not this time." She looks down as she starts walking again. "What do you want me to do? She literally asked me not to tell Damon." She shrugs and he shakes his head.
… …
Matt is walking through the streets of Mystic Falls. It has been a while since the place was this normal. He knows that. But yet he can't help it but prepare for something. Prepare for the war that had ended long time ago.
Sometimes, he wonders if it's his unconscious mind and it misses the battle. He can't figure it out. All what he knows is the feeling he has every time he walks in a late hour in an empty street. Looking behind to make sure that there is no creature with fangs lurking around.
Maybe he will never get used to it.
… …
He's sitting on his bar stool, new house, new kitchen, new booze. He puts the bottle down as he hears the same words for the millionth time this summer.
It's Bonnie. Leave me a message.
"So when are we gonna have a real mature conversation in which I won't scream at you in a voice mail?"
He lets out a breath.
"What are you doing, Bonnie?" he closes his eyes as lets an even deeper breath. "I'm the one who abandons people remember?"
He shakes his head with a smile.
"You need me, Bonnie, now more than ever." His voice is serious now, trying to reach for her. "And I need you too." That one is hardly above a whisper of course. "Even like this."
"Just call me, okay?"
He puts down the phone with his typical frown. He's getting tired, and he is so close to giving up. But he can't, as long as he can breathe and be alive and well. Besides, what else would he do other than trying to bring his brother back?
… …
"So, tomorrow at ten." The guy says as he puts on his jacket and got ready to leave the already empty bar. "You sure you don't need help?"
"I'm fine."
Her voice comes up two seconds before her head pops out of the bar. Sounds of glasses being put in their place. She puts the cloth on the bar and gives him a polite smile.
"Well, good night, Bonnie."
"Good night, Jack."
She takes a deep breath before she hears her phone buzzing in her pocket. She pulls it out to see Damon's name. She looks away, licking her lips. She shakes her head slowly and puts it back into her pocket.
She takes off her apron and put it aside. Taking a moment to stare at the ring in her hand. Her finger plays with it for few seconds, her eyes staring at it. But her mind is clearly elsewhere. She blinks several time as she takes a deep breath, her hand falling down to her side as she walks to turn off the lights.
She pulls her jacket and bag and shuts the door behind her as she goes home.
… …
The voice of the door cracking open is louder than it should be, same with the keys as she puts them on the table. Even her steps echo through the walls of her empty house.
She glances at the frame on the table, her little girl beaming as she hugs her tightly.
Dead husband, dead daughter. She feels it in the cold breeze, in the dark house, in the silence between the rooms.
The sheriff walks to her favorite chair, taking a deep breath in. It's a few moments before she opens her eyes. They fall on the orchid next to her in instant. Her hands touch it and she can see Caroline right there. She lets out a sigh.
She walks to the stairs with no strength in the world, hands leaning on the wall to hold her together.
Yet another night, no phone calls, no messages. Nothing, but loneliness as she sleeps alone in her own bed.
… …
It's a beautiful morning. Sunlight breaking through the windows and filling the whole kitchen. Loud music echoing around them. His hands work just fine shuffling the pancakes, while he moves his body slightly with the music. She on the other hand, is pouring the chocolate sauce into a bowl next to the strawberries' one. He buries his finger inside the chocolate and closes his eyes as he tastes it. Not a second passes before she nudges him in the elbow, faking a glare at his stupid grin.
She takes the plates and walks to the table, and he follows her with the pancakes. She's about to sink her fork in the pancake before he slaps her hand. He then draws witch's hat with whipped cream on top of it.
"Seriously?" She rolls her eyes with a grin and he shrugs. "Every day I tell you it's stupid."
"And every day I make it anyway."
She shakes her head as she enjoys his smile, big and bright and happy.
… …
