Chapter 4
Stefan slipped his jacket off, laying it on the couch. He could sense Elena in the bedroom, sleeping soundly. He silently stepped into the room.
A stab of guilt shot through Stefan as he saw the dried trails of salty tears on Elena's pale cheeks. Just knowing that he'd been the cause of her pain made Stefan hate himself.
Stefan slipped off his shirt and shoes, sliding into bed besides Elena only when he was dressed waist down. He gently pulled Elena into his embrace, savoring the soft sigh that escaped her pink lips.
"Stefan…" Elena mumbled. He buried his face in her long blond tendrils, inhaling her scent deeply.
"God, Elena… I love you. I never meant to hurt you. I am so sorry," he mumbled into her hair, praying that she could hear him.
Elena silently slipped her arms around Stefan, squeezing gently. "I know, Stefan," she whispered, "I know."
They said no more that night. They simply fell asleep in one another's arms, contemplating their future together.
~*~*~*~
"What are we doing here, Alaric?"
Meredith tried to adjust her eyes to the sudden darkness of Alaric's apartment. She tried to see his face, but she could only make out a silhouette.
"Just follow me," Alaric replied, grabbing hold of her hand, and started forward.
Meredith sighed and did as he said. She was shocked when the lights suddenly came on. They were dimmed, but they were bright in comparison to the previous lighting. What shocked her more was the room.
Tall, thin, white candles graced the room, giving a soft, glowing light. White rose petals scattered the wood floor, and a bottle of champagne sat on the table with two glasses. Meredith wanted to cry. She turned to Alaric, forcing the tears back.
"W-what is all of this?" Meredith asked. Her voice was quiet.
"I wasn't sure if it was too much. And I know you're technically too young to really drink, but a little champagne never hurt anyone. I… I just wanted tonight to be special," Alaric said, his voice just as soft as Meredith's.
"Why? What's tonight?" Meredith inquired. It wasn't their anniversary. And it wasn't either of their birthdays. She racked her brain for an importance.
"You'll see," Alaric replied, his voice trying to hide his mischievousness. "I know I'm not a very good cook, but I'm fairly proud of dinner."
Alaric brought out two plates of steak, and they sat at the dining room table, eating quietly. Meredith didn't know what to do or say.
The meal was delicious, and all throughout dinner Alaric smiled. Soft, romantic music played from the stereo, so quietly that it was practically not there at all.
After clearing the table, Alaric handed Meredith a single, red rose.
"Alaric, what's going on?" Meredith asked.
"Look at the rose. Isn't it pretty?" Alaric asked.
Meredith sighed and studied the rose. Its petals were a deep, dark red, and the stem had thorns. And—
Meredith gasped. Resting on the thorns was a ring. A single gold ring, with a small but beautiful heart-shaped diamond in the center. Meredith felt more tears welling up, and this time they spilled.
"Alaric, what is this?" Meredith's voice cracked and trembled.
"Meredith, I love you. I want to spend the rest of my life with you. Will you marry me?"
Meredith closed her eyes as Alaric slipped the ring off the rose, holding it before her as an offer. She nodded; she could not manage to speak.
Alaric slipped the ring onto Meredith's finger. It fit perfectly, and the two embraced, tears flowing freely.
~*~*~*~
"Come on, Matt! Please? You promised!"
Matt couldn't help but laugh. Bonnie looked adorable, tugging on his hand as though she alone had the strength to force him to move.
"When did I promise we could go on the Ferris wheel?" he asked, trying to pry Bonnie's fingers off of his hand.
"When we were waiting in line for the roller coaster. You said, and I _ quote _, 'Bonnie, if you go on this ride, I promise to go on any ride you want.' You said _ any _ ride, and I want to go on the Ferris wheel. _ Please? _" Bonnie put on her best pout, and Matt sighed.
"All right, all right; you win. We can go. But only 'cause I'm a sucker for a cute druid," Matt mumbled.
"That's _ droo _-id. Get it right."
Matt paid their way onto the ride, and the two climbed on. Matt smiled at the sparkle in Bonnie's eyes as they started their way up to the top.
"Look! Matt, look! I can see the parking lot! Wow! Look at the lights! It's so pretty up here, Matt, don't you think? Oh, wow!" Bonnie squealed in excitement.
Matt glanced down, marveling at the view. Bonnie was right; it was pretty.
Then, all of a sudden, the ride jerked slightly, causing Bonnie to squeak in fright.
"What's going on, Matt? What happened?" Bonnie asked, her voice scared.
1.1.1 "Um… I think we're stuck," Matt responded.
"Oh no! Ugh, it figures!" Bonnie grabbed Matt's arm in a death grip, refusing to let go.
"Bonnie, we'll be fine. But not if you cut off the circulation to my hand."
Bonnie released him and mumbled her apology. Matt could tell she was scared, so he slipped his arm around her. Bonnie's cheeks flamed pink, but she just snuggled closer to Matt's chest.
A few minutes later, the Ferris wheel began moving again. The two were more than reluctant to get off.
~*~*~*~
1.1.2 End Chapter 4
Stefan slipped his jacket off, laying it on the couch. He could sense Elena in the bedroom, sleeping soundly. He silently stepped into the room.
A stab of guilt shot through Stefan as he saw the dried trails of salty tears on Elena's pale cheeks. Just knowing that he'd been the cause of her pain made Stefan hate himself.
Stefan slipped off his shirt and shoes, sliding into bed besides Elena only when he was dressed waist down. He gently pulled Elena into his embrace, savoring the soft sigh that escaped her pink lips.
"Stefan…" Elena mumbled. He buried his face in her long blond tendrils, inhaling her scent deeply.
"God, Elena… I love you. I never meant to hurt you. I am so sorry," he mumbled into her hair, praying that she could hear him.
Elena silently slipped her arms around Stefan, squeezing gently. "I know, Stefan," she whispered, "I know."
They said no more that night. They simply fell asleep in one another's arms, contemplating their future together.
~*~*~*~
"What are we doing here, Alaric?"
Meredith tried to adjust her eyes to the sudden darkness of Alaric's apartment. She tried to see his face, but she could only make out a silhouette.
"Just follow me," Alaric replied, grabbing hold of her hand, and started forward.
Meredith sighed and did as he said. She was shocked when the lights suddenly came on. They were dimmed, but they were bright in comparison to the previous lighting. What shocked her more was the room.
Tall, thin, white candles graced the room, giving a soft, glowing light. White rose petals scattered the wood floor, and a bottle of champagne sat on the table with two glasses. Meredith wanted to cry. She turned to Alaric, forcing the tears back.
"W-what is all of this?" Meredith asked. Her voice was quiet.
"I wasn't sure if it was too much. And I know you're technically too young to really drink, but a little champagne never hurt anyone. I… I just wanted tonight to be special," Alaric said, his voice just as soft as Meredith's.
"Why? What's tonight?" Meredith inquired. It wasn't their anniversary. And it wasn't either of their birthdays. She racked her brain for an importance.
"You'll see," Alaric replied, his voice trying to hide his mischievousness. "I know I'm not a very good cook, but I'm fairly proud of dinner."
Alaric brought out two plates of steak, and they sat at the dining room table, eating quietly. Meredith didn't know what to do or say.
The meal was delicious, and all throughout dinner Alaric smiled. Soft, romantic music played from the stereo, so quietly that it was practically not there at all.
After clearing the table, Alaric handed Meredith a single, red rose.
"Alaric, what's going on?" Meredith asked.
"Look at the rose. Isn't it pretty?" Alaric asked.
Meredith sighed and studied the rose. Its petals were a deep, dark red, and the stem had thorns. And—
Meredith gasped. Resting on the thorns was a ring. A single gold ring, with a small but beautiful heart-shaped diamond in the center. Meredith felt more tears welling up, and this time they spilled.
"Alaric, what is this?" Meredith's voice cracked and trembled.
"Meredith, I love you. I want to spend the rest of my life with you. Will you marry me?"
Meredith closed her eyes as Alaric slipped the ring off the rose, holding it before her as an offer. She nodded; she could not manage to speak.
Alaric slipped the ring onto Meredith's finger. It fit perfectly, and the two embraced, tears flowing freely.
~*~*~*~
"Come on, Matt! Please? You promised!"
Matt couldn't help but laugh. Bonnie looked adorable, tugging on his hand as though she alone had the strength to force him to move.
"When did I promise we could go on the Ferris wheel?" he asked, trying to pry Bonnie's fingers off of his hand.
"When we were waiting in line for the roller coaster. You said, and I _ quote _, 'Bonnie, if you go on this ride, I promise to go on any ride you want.' You said _ any _ ride, and I want to go on the Ferris wheel. _ Please? _" Bonnie put on her best pout, and Matt sighed.
"All right, all right; you win. We can go. But only 'cause I'm a sucker for a cute druid," Matt mumbled.
"That's _ droo _-id. Get it right."
Matt paid their way onto the ride, and the two climbed on. Matt smiled at the sparkle in Bonnie's eyes as they started their way up to the top.
"Look! Matt, look! I can see the parking lot! Wow! Look at the lights! It's so pretty up here, Matt, don't you think? Oh, wow!" Bonnie squealed in excitement.
Matt glanced down, marveling at the view. Bonnie was right; it was pretty.
Then, all of a sudden, the ride jerked slightly, causing Bonnie to squeak in fright.
"What's going on, Matt? What happened?" Bonnie asked, her voice scared.
1.1.1 "Um… I think we're stuck," Matt responded.
"Oh no! Ugh, it figures!" Bonnie grabbed Matt's arm in a death grip, refusing to let go.
"Bonnie, we'll be fine. But not if you cut off the circulation to my hand."
Bonnie released him and mumbled her apology. Matt could tell she was scared, so he slipped his arm around her. Bonnie's cheeks flamed pink, but she just snuggled closer to Matt's chest.
A few minutes later, the Ferris wheel began moving again. The two were more than reluctant to get off.
~*~*~*~
1.1.2 End Chapter 4