A/N: I try so hard to update at least once a week. Thank you for continuing to look forward to the updates. I hear TVD has not been too good to us SE fans at the start of Season 6. There is always fanfics to turn to!
Stefan's bedroom door was open and his lamp was on when Elena walked by, so she decided to drop off his laundry for him. They made it back home from Florida around late afternoon, so she had made dinner and then caught up on laundry. Elena was exhausted, and apparently, so was Stefan.
Elena smiled when she came into his room and saw him spread out on his bed with his arm over his face. Stefan lifted his arm slightly to look at Elena. "I'm just dropping off your laundry" she told him, taking the basket holding his clothes and setting it on a chair near his dresser. She came back around towards his bed and let herself fall on top of it, lying next to him. Elena let out a long sigh. "I am so tired" she announced.
Stefan nodded in agreement. He forgot how long of a drive it was to Florida and back in just a few days' time. "You didn't have to do my laundry" he said, using some of his energy to turn his head and look at her. Even though the chores around the house were supposed to be Elena's responsibility per their agreement, he helped out. He just didn't cook.
She smiled softly. "I had to do mine anyways" she told him. She yawned and closed her eyes. "I should head to bed." Elena made no move to get up, but she knew she needed too. She shouldn't have lain down, because now she didn't want to get back up.
Stefan turned his head towards her, watching her fighting sleep. "You could sleep here tonight" he said quietly. Stefan didn't know what her reaction would be, so he waited patiently.
Elena's eyes opened slowly. She turned her head to look at him, showing her surprise in her eyes. "You want me to sleep in here?" she asked.
"Just sleeping" Stefan clarified. "And only if you want to." He wouldn't hold it against her if she didn't want to. He just thought it would be nice to be able to hold her for a night. He thought about it often, and wondered if having her in his arms might remedy his difficulty falling asleep.
Elena sat up and he assumed that meant she was leaving. Though, she sat there and looked down at him. "Okay" she said after a few moments. "Give me a couple of minutes" she added, allowing a small smile to form.
Stefan watched Elena get up off of his bed and disappear out of his room. While he would have normally shed his t-shirt for sleeping, he decided to leave it on to make Elena feel more comfortable.
He heard her footsteps coming back down the hall. So quiet, yet he could always hear her when she got up during the middle of the night. Sometimes he thought she stopped at his door to see if he was awake too. Maybe it was just wishful thinking.
Elena walked back into his room, hugging her pillow to her chest. She stopped when she saw him staring at her. "I umm, I can't sleep without my own pillow" she told him. She would toss and turn all night without it.
It was the cutest thing he had ever seen, watching her hold her pillow, dressed in purple and gray flannel pajamas with her messy ponytail high on her head. "Your pillow is welcome too" he said, smiling at her. Stefan pulled the covers back on her side of the bed and Elena got in. She fluffed her pillow while Stefan shut the lamp off. "Comfortable?" he asked her quietly.
With her back to him, she smiled. "Not quite" she told him, reaching behind her to find his hands. Then she brought them around to the front of her.
Stefan caught on quickly to what she wanted and he wasted no time wrapping his arms around her securely and pulling her close. "Better?" he whispered in her ear.
Elena sighed contently. His bed was ridiculously soft, and his body against hers kept her feeling warm and secure. "Much" Elena said, right before she yawned.
Stefan placed a gentle kiss against her ear. "Goodnight" he said softly.
"Night" Elena said, yawning again.
Stefan stayed awake for a little while longer, listening to the steady sound of her breathing. It was the most soothing sound he had ever heard, and he knew that from then on, he would need to hear it in order to fall asleep.
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Stefan woke up first, feeling cold. His eyes focused and he found Elena on the far side of the bed, with all of the covers on her. He couldn't help but smile. She was a blanket stealer.
One glance at the clock told him it was late in the morning and that he should probably get up. He was trying not to sleep in too much so as to get some sort of schedule going for when he began working full-time.
Stefan sat up some and then leaned over her, placing a kiss on her lips. "Good morning" he whispered, smiling when he saw her start to stir. She murmured her protest, having no interest in getting up.
"How early is it?" Elena asked with a tired voice. She pulled the blankets closer to her.
Stefan laughed softly. "Almost eleven" he said, breaking the bad news that it wasn't really that early. Elena kept her eyes closed. "By the way, you're a blanket thief" he added, tugging on the comforter she still had.
Elena smiled, gripping the comforter even tighter so he couldn't take it from her. "I like your blankets" she said, peeking one eye open to look at him. He looked incredible with his messy hair. So incredible that she was looking forward to waking up with him every morning.
He let her keep the blankets, but he did move closer to her. "I have to get up" he said, resting his head on her pillow so they were face to face.
Elena frowned. "You don't HAVE to" she corrected, opening up the blankets so he could join her.
Stefan moved even closer to her and placed the blankets so they were covering them both. He smiled, because she was right. He didn't have to get up, but he was choosing to. He had some things to get done that day. "I would love nothing more than to stay in bed with you all day" he told her, resting his hand on the curve of her hip. Stefan felt her legs brush up against his before she tangled them with his own.
Elena leaned in and brushed her lips lightly against his. "I guess I should get up too then" she sighed, allowing her fingers to trace the length of his arm, getting a feel for those biceps of his.
Stefan brushed his fingers lightly against her cheek and smiled, admiring her natural beauty. "You're so beautiful" he whispered, looking into her eyes. He saw nothing but kindness and loyalty in them. Love, even.
Elena considered it an honor to be told such a thing by the man lying next to her in bed when she had just woken up. "I love hearing you say things like that" she told him. It was honest reassurance that made her feel wanted.
Stefan sat silently for a moment, looking into her eyes. It was inspiring to think she had suffered a great loss, and yet she was coping so well with it. He loved how strong she was. "I love you" he said quietly. He needed her to know that what he felt for her was real.
Elena reached her hand up and placed it over his hand that was touching her cheek. She squeezed his hand in hers and smiled softly. "I love you too" she said. She loved having someone she could count on.
She didn't have her family anymore, but she had Stefan.
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Stefan ran the towel over his head one more time before he tossed the towel in the hamper on the way out of his room. While he had showered, Elena had stayed in bed.
Surprisingly, Stefan found Elena at the kitchen counter, coffee mug securely in her hands and one of her textbooks open. She was reading intently and didn't even hear him come up behind her. "Which one is this?" Stefan asked, picking up the front cover to see it.
Elena smiled. "Marine Biology" she answered. It was by far her favorite book for the upcoming semester. Then she looked up at him. "Thank you for getting these for me" she said, gesturing to the stack next to her. She hadn't been too excited to crack open a math or psychology book. "I'm going to pay you back" she promised. Her books had been so expensive and she was stressing over how she would pay for them all.
Stefan leaned down and kissed the top of her head. "And I told you not to worry about it" he reminded as he went to get a travel mug full of coffee.
"I know, I know" Elena said, rolling her eyes at his lack of concern over her paying him back the $800.00 it cost to buy her books. She still planned to pay him back as soon as she started working for Damon. "Do you want to go to the beach today?" she asked. Elena wanted to enjoy the day outside because it was so beautiful out.
Stefan hesitated. "I … can't. I'm helping Damon with something today" he told her. Stefan dropped his jeep keys next to her open textbook on the counter. "You go" he said, taking out his wallet and placing a $50 bill next to the keys. The moment she was about to argue, he interrupted her. "I'll take the bus. Have fun" he told her, placing a flirtatious kiss on her lips. Then he grabbed his travel mug and left.
Elena watched him leave, wondering why he hadn't invited her to go with.
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She smiled when Bonnie's face popped up on the screen of her iPad. "Hi" Elena said, leaning back in her chair on the patio of some little café she had stopped at for a late lunch.
Bonnie was smiling too. "Hey you" she greeted. "What are you up to?" Bonnie asked.
"Oh, you know … just hanging out at the beach" Elena answered.
Bonnie glared at her. "I hate you!" she said, laughing. "It's 11:00 PM here and I'm sifting through stacks of newspapers from a million years ago so I can write a 30 page paper for one of my classes" she added.
Elena laughed too. "I can't wait to write papers for my classes" she told her friend. Elena was excited to start college.
"You say that now" Bonnie mumbled. Elena laughed at her again. "So where's Stefan?" Bonnie asked.
"He's with his brother, helping him out with something" Elena answered. What, she didn't know. But it was good for the brothers to spend time together without her always tagging along. "They're probably doing guy stuff, like watching football or something."
Bonnie crinkled her nose at the thought. "Does football even happen on Mondays?" she asked. Elena shrugged, because she didn't know. All she knew was, whenever she went over to Damon's house with Stefan and a game was on, they tried their best to explain to her what was happening, and she just couldn't get into it. "Yeah me either" Bonnie told her, giving her a small smile. "But everything is going okay?" she asked.
Elena nodded. "Everything is amazing, Bonnie. It is ridiculous how well Stefan and I get along. I actually just got back from Florida yesterday. We went to see their parents."
Bonnie raised an eyebrow. "He took you to meet the parents, huh?" she asked. That was fast. "What were they like?" Bonnie asked.
"Wonderful. Two of the nicest people I have ever met. It's no wonder that both Stefan and Damon are just as wonderful" she explained. She couldn't help but smile.
"So are you two dating now or what?" Bonnie questioned.
Elena couldn't lie. Bonnie would see right through her. "Yeah, I guess we are" Elena told her. "I mean, we have feelings for each other and like I said, we get along great. Being with him just feels … right." She couldn't really explain it any more than that.
"Things between you guys seem to have been moving awfully fast" Bonnie pointed out with a long, drawn out sigh. She had never seen Elena so quick to jump into things, especially relationships.
Elena frowned. Bonnie didn't approve of her and Stefan. "You don't think I should be with him?" Elena asked. She wanted her friend's support. Needed it even. "Yeah, I moved in quickly because I needed a place to stay. And yeah, we spend a lot of time together. But it's not like we're getting married anytime soon" Elena argued.
"Whoa, okay" Bonnie said, putting her hands up in defense. She could tell that her comment had upset Elena, and that hadn't been her intention. "You have no one over there looking out for you. I'm just worried, you know?" she said, her voice softening. Bonnie watched Elena visibly relax some.
"I just wish you could meet him in person and see what a great guy he is" Elena said sadly. "I really, really like him Bonnie. And I want you to like him too."
Bonnie could tell how much Elena wanted her to accept Stefan. "I want me to like him too" Bonnie said, smiling gently. "You deserve to be happy after this past year" she added. "And if this Stefan guy makes you happy, well then, I suppose I should at least try to like him." She was still going to be cautious though.
"Trying is a start" Elena said, smiling as well. "Listen, I better let you go so you can finish that paper and go to bed."
"Okay. Goodnight" Bonnie told her, blowing her a friendly kiss before she signed off.
Elena put her iPad away and sighed. She hoped her friend would come around, especially if Stefan was planning on sticking around. Elena took out her phone and dialed his number. After five rings, it went straight to voicemail.
She figured he wasn't by his phone, so she tried Damon next. "Hey Elena" he answered after the second ring.
Elena smiled. "Hi Damon. Is Stefan still with you? I wanted to ask him what time he would be home."
There was a short pause before he answered. "I haven't seen Stefan today" he told her. "I'm actually heading out to a job site right now to set up for the week" he explained. "Could I call you back later when I get done?" he asked.
Elena felt herself start to worry. "Oh, I must have heard him wrong" she told Damon. "You don't need to call me back. I'll see you later this week I'm sure" she said, trying to sound as upbeat as she had when she had first answered the phone. But it was hard, because she now felt like Stefan had lied to her and she didn't know why.
"Okay yeah, I look forward to seeing you" he told her. "Have a good night Elena" he said.
"You too" Elena replied before hanging up. She gripped her phone in her hand tightly, staring at the home screen. If he had wanted some time to himself, he should have just told her, rather than lie to her about going to see his brother.
Her eyes started to sting as she held her tears at bay. She felt stupid, having just gone on and on to Bonnie about what a great guy Stefan was.
Now, she wasn't sure what to think.
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Elena had stayed out another three hours or so before making herself go back to Stefan's. She was still upset about Stefan, but she couldn't stand to be out and about by herself anymore, thinking about why he had lied. All she could think about was where he was.
On top of it all, a storm had set in. She really didn't like driving in the rain, especially when it was coming down so hard that you could barely see out the window.
Purple and blue flashes lit up the sky as she parked the jeep and got out, running for the main entrance of the apartment complex, dodging puddles of water along her way. Her hair and clothes were wet from the relentless rain as she got on the elevator to go up to the apartment she shared with Stefan.
Now she was upset with Stefan and wet, cold and just plain miserable from the downpour she had just encountered. The best thing for her was going to be a hot shower, a cup of tea and an early bedtime.
The elevator door opened on her floor and she walked down the hallway, digging her key out of her pocket. Even if he was home, they never left the door unlocked.
Elena pushed the door open to find a dark apartment, lit up only by candles sitting on tables and shelves. She stood in the doorway for a moment, trying to figure out what was going on. The power hadn't gone out because the rest of the building had lights.
Slowly, Elena shut the door and dropped her purse off to the side. She took a few steps into the apartment, looking around. What the hell was going on?
Stefan appeared from around the corner, stopping across the room from her. From the sporadic lighting, she could see that he was wearing blue jeans and a thermal long sleeve cream colored Henley with the top buttons undone. His hands were in his pockets and although he was silent, his body language told her that he was nervous.
Deciding to not give into her curiosity, she crossed her arms over her chest and stared at him. He looked amazing, but that was beside the point. "How did it go with Damon?" she asked, her voice testing him. She fully expected him to lie right to her face. She was counting on it, actually.
"I didn't go see Damon" Stefan answered, cool and calm. He knew there would be a good chance she would call Damon since Stefan wasn't picking up his phone.
Elena was surprised by his blatant honesty. "You told me you were going to see your brother" Elena reminded, her voice still on edge, very much aware of the candle flames dancing in the shadows.
Stefan kept his hands in his pockets as he walked slowly towards her. He stopped a little ways away. "I needed you to think that. So that I could have the morning and afternoon to myself" he explained.
Elena felt frustrated. "Stefan, you don't have to make up lies to get away from me. Just tell me you need some space. I get it" she told him.
Slowly, Stefan closed the space between them and removed his hands from his pockets to grab hers. He gave her hands a gentle squeeze. "I don't want to be away from you. Ever" he told her softly. "But I had to be alone, in order to plan this" he explained.
Elena eyed the candles again before slowly looking back into his eyes. "And what exactly is this?" she asked, suddenly feeling nervous and a tad guilty for doubting him.
Stefan took his time answering her question, wanting to sort his words out so he didn't sound like a fool. "My life three months ago was okay. Just okay" he began. "It wasn't amazing, it wasn't exciting. But then, I met you" he told her, his eyes piercing hers with their sincerity. "The moment I saw you, I knew you were going to change my life forever. And here you are. You've made me so happy the last few months. I want to make you happy too" he told her. He wanted to make her a part of his family, permanently and officially so that she felt like she belonged. He wanted to take all her worries away about money, so that she never again would know what it felt like to go without, or to feel like she always owed him.
"Stefan" Elena whispered, her voice failing her as she listened to him. She was mesmerized by his words.
"I know there are all these rules and beliefs about love. You should know someone for this amount of time or you should wait for this or that" he told her, continuing. "But I don't want to wait Elena" he told her, releasing one of her hands as he reached into his pocket, pulling out a small black box and kneeling on one knee. Elena's now free hand went to cover her mouth as she gasped softly. He popped the box open, revealing to her a beautiful diamond engagement ring. "Elena, will you marry me?" he asked.
A/N: First, I realize this is moving very fast. Who proposes that quickly? Stefan has his reasons for doing so. Are they rational? Maybe not to us, but they are to him.
Second, the next update will jump some time. I won't tell you whether she accepted or not until you read the next update.
Third, I want to remind you all that the reason I began writing this story was not to write a detailed and beautiful story of how Stefan and Elena fell in love. The real reason I wanted to write this story is because of what happens next (which you will begin to see in the next update that jumps time).
Last, I hope I didn't give too much hype about what is going on with Stefan. I do not want you to be disappointed, but I do want you to know that this storyline means a great deal to me, both personally and professionally.
Thanks!
