3 months later
"Hello?"
"Where the fuck have you been?" A mean voice growled over the phone. Oh shit. I hopped out of bed, throwing everything around. Where are my clothes?
"I'm on my way right now, Lex, I promise." I pulled up some boxers and pants; personal hygiene be damned.
"You were supposed to be on your way 20 minutes ago!" I made plans with her two days ago to try out this coffee shop at noon and it's going on 1 o clock. Whoops.
"I ran into a little something," I grabbed a green tie and hung it over my neck before I shrugged into my suit jacket.
"Actually," she said deviously, "You don't need to come. I'm busy."
"Busy with what?"
"Kol is in town, so I thought I'd show him around." Ahah! I started stripping again and rolled my eyes. She is such a bitch sometimes.
"You can be such a bitch sometimes."
"Yeah, well. It comes with the territory. Let me talk to Elena!"
Elena was curled up in the middle of my bed, wrapped up in my sheets. It was a beautiful sight, really. She peered up at me with her sparkling brown eyes and reached for the phone. I handed it to her, but grabbed her other hand, laying a kiss on the palm of it.
Things were going really well.
Damon and I had come to an understanding or…as much of understanding as you can get. He said he was sorry for going after Elena while she was with me and of course I forgave him. He can be a nuisance and the most evil little fucker, but he's my brother. Elena was thrilled when I told her that, and I invited him out to San Francisco, too, to come and see my dad and my apartment.
Caroline announced she was pregnant a few days ago. Nik does work fast. However, he wants to marry her before they have a baby which is understandable and admirable. A man in love does the damndest things. Caroline wasn't too keen on the idea because she felt it was too fast, but now she is pleasantly waiting for her wedding ring. Persistence goes a long way; I would know.
Bonnie and Damon finally found a common ground. After Damon and Elena cancelled the engagement, Bonnie didn't go running to Damon or vice versa. It was when she landed in New Jersey depressed and lonely, that an empty building strategically placed next to the hospital she was working at had been invested in by a nobody from Ashland.
He started 'Fix er' up', a car shop he'd been wanting his entire life. It hasn't opened yet, but he's done the painting and hiring. Now it's just paper work and the effort of time. Bonnie was ecstatic.
The main problem in their relationship was the future. Damon never wanted to grow up, get a job or live that white picket fence dream that Bonnie wanted because she never had it. Damon told her that Elena never 'pushed him so much about the future' and made him 'comfortable' he realized that he didn't want that anymore. He wanted someone who pushed him to be a better person and didn't ignore his bullshit; someone who challenged him.
And even I could tell that that person was Bonnie fucking Bennett.
Lexi was upset at first, but then Elena took her for drinks and she moved on that night. And the next. But I just feel like she's going to find a guy for her. I know it.
Elena has been staying with me for the past month. With her book published, she has the money to put down on an apartment, but I don't mind her staying with me. Forever.
We've been making things work, trying to move on.
It doesn't mean that we don't argue, because we aren't perfect and won't ever be. But we love each other fiercely and that's enough.
She's been working on her second book, a fiction novel for teens this time and I think she's going to go really far. Things are still a bit awkward for her and Damon but they've been getting over things.
I just like to pretend that whole fiasco never happened. And luckily for me, that was a perfect excuse for every argument we have. Say I left my beer bottle on her writing desk:
"Well you were engaged to my brother."
Stefan: 1000000 Elena: 0
"I'll see you around, Lexi," Elena said in conclusion. She hung up and stretched on the bed.
"So tired."
"I know the feeling," I said, crawling back into bed with her. She kissed my chest and sighed in content.
"I haven't been so happy in so long," she whispered. I didn't say anything but I pulled her closer to me.
For a moment holding her, I felt so at home and at peace with myself. Like I could tackle anything and anyone as long as I had her near me. I knew that I would never find someone as beautiful, smart or funny as her. Or anyone that made me feel truly whole.
"You should marry me, Elena." I spurted out, not looking her in the eye. She froze under me and then lifted herself into a sitting position before she turned to look at me.
"What?"
"You should carry me, Elena. To the bathroom; I have to take a piss." I lied effortlessly. She squinted her eyes at me and cleared her throat.
"Is that what you said?"
"Yeah, what did you think I said?" She shook her head and lay back down for a few moments.
"Nothing. Don't you have to take a piss?"
Right. I crawled out of bed and walked over to the bathroom, shutting the door. Estupido, estupido, estupido. I can't believe I said that.
Actually, I can. But what was I thinking doing it like that? If I'm going to do it, I want to do it right. Is it even acceptable to propose so close after they just got out of a previous engagement?
I mean if you count all the years we've been together now would seem like a good time if they were consecutive of course. And I already know that eventually I'd marry her because, who else would I marry? I've decided I want to spend the rest of my life with her but I don't even know if that's mutual.
This is why I don't do this shit, I sound like such a pansy.
Which is what I'll become if I ever get married. I will die forever a married man. Which is great on some aspects but I will no longer be a bachelor. I'll be a husband and soon a dad. And knowing me, my children will be devils but I won't care because I'm blinded by marriage and everything will change after I say 'I do'. Elena will probably grow bitter and start hating me. There will be no more 'Cold Days' because they will be every day. No sex and then Elena will make me stop drinking and I won't have enough time to buy a cake with what daycare and everything and Elena is bitter and wont make me cake and the children…oh God someone forgot to pick the children up from school today and Elena will kill me.
Deep breaths Stefan.
In. Out. In. Out.
Oh my God I'm going to die. I feel like I'm having a heart attack. I started breathing really heavily, and out of order. Oh my…the walls are closing in on me. Oh heavenly father.
I held onto the countertop, and choked out, "Elena."
OoooO
"He fainted, it's very common. A lot of the times fainting goes hand and hand with stress, fear even anger. Big emotions like that override the brain and then you're on the floor," the doctor chuckled. I opened one eye at a time to see myself in the hospital bed surrounded by white.
"Oh good, you're awake," a timid voice called. Elena planted a kiss on my neck and smiled down at me.
"You fainted."
"I see."
"I never saw anyone faint before, so I called 911."
"Good call," I laughed giving her a kiss on the cheek.
"Is this normal for you Mr. Salvatore?" The doctor inquired, bringing out a pen and jotting something down on a chart. I sighed and shook my head in the negative.
"Did you have any recent news that may have been overwhelming? Pregnancy? A death in the family? Marriage jitters?" I nearly choked before I responded.
"Oh, not really."
He squinted at me and nodded, "Well, maybe it's just a once in a lifetime thing. You're free to go when you want." He left the room, shutting the door behind him tightly.
"You okay?" Elena asked, rubbing my shoulder softly.
"It's just…what if I forget to pick the children up from school?" I said quietly. I heard her giggle beside me and I faced her with a scowl.
"What?"
"Or you grow bitter."
"Hey!"
"And then our relationship implodes because I'm not even having my beers like usual. And our kids are going to be satans spawn I know they're going to get in so much trouble," I rambled off, sliding my arm around her waist.
Her face softened and she gave me a kiss on the cheek, "Why will that happen?"
I think I just had smarter and plausible epiphany. You know what? Who cares if I don't get my beer everyday or my cake or Elena is bitchy and my kids are little devil minions. Having Elena be my wife everyday and getting to be the one fathering her children? That's enough for me.
"Because I wanted to marry you," I said softly. I looked up at her to see her beaming down at me.
"You want me to carry you? To the bathroom? Remember what happened last time…" she joked. I glared at her and brought her closer.
"No, I want to marry you, you know? Be my wife?"
Her eyes glazed over and she leaned forward and captured my lips in a kiss which I responded to eagerly. "Yes!"
Wait.
"Well this is unexpected," I murmured. She looked up at me questioningly. Oh she said yes!
"I need to get you a ring. I'll um, be back."
"What about me?" I heard her say loudly. "You crazy, crazy, man," she laughed.
It's funny now, going back on my life and thinking about where I would be.
When I was a small kid, I wanted to be president and marry a pretty lady and have a kid so I could get a kids vote too.
When I was teenager, I wanted to go to law school, marry Elena and have kids with her someday. And here I am, doing just that.
I guess you don't expect things like that to happen, you know? Dreams are supposed to be just that; dreams. Of course until they come true…then they're reality.
But this reality is greater than any dream I drew up as a kid climbing into Elena's window or as a college boy trying to make a living working at Starbucks.
Greater than going home to the love of your life expecting to be forgiven and build up a relationship and maybe years from now consider marriage and kids.
Greater than Mila Kunis in a bikini on my bed.
It was the kind of reality so sweet, that I have to check every few minutes to make sure that it is, in fact, reality.
So…
So what if we've said or done things we haven't meant.
So what if I went on an awful date and almost got a blowjob from a girl under the table.
So what if I somehow gave up.
So what if she still hasn't given me my Ramones shirt back.
So what if she almost married the wrong Salvatore.
Because right now isn't the past or future; right now is the present in which my girl agreed to marry me.
I just have to pray in said present that I don't faint at the altar.
Short, sweet, fluffy little ending.
Epilogue is next! WOO! (: