Chapter 5 : 'Fighting over the girl'

In a hindsight, Stefan should have asked who was at the door before opening. Just answering the door, without even asking who it was, he's was just begging to be murdered. But then again, he lived in a gated community, with high security, it just slipped his mind.

Ding. Ding. Ding.

"I am coming, I am coming," Stefan said as he opened the door, shirtless. He opened the door, still half asleep.

And the next second, a hard blow on his nose woke him up.

"Fucker," he hissed as he fell on his face.

"Hello, Stefan."

Stefan couldn't lie and say that he didn't predict a future visit from the dark eyed Italian. That was just wishful thinking. And why would Damon not want to 'discuss' certain matters with him. He was the husband of the woman that Stefan loved with all his heart, soul, mind and body. If it was Stefan, he probably would have done the same thing.

Except he wasn't in that position but oh God, he desired for it terribly. He didn't want to be the other man, he wanted to be the man – the man of Elena's dreams, the man of her heart, the man who made her feel loved. He hadn't done a very good job of it so far.

"Damon," Stefan said as he rubbed his nose, "I guess I deserved that,"

The Italian invited himself and walked in Stefan's apartment. Stefan closed the door after him and lingered, just for a bit to ponder over the emotions that his stoic friend might convey.

Anger? Hatred? Or perhaps he would remain impassive and deadpan – the epitome of his personality. When one thought of Damon, did one not imagine his blank face with the blue emotionless eyes as cold as ice? They reflected his cynical remarks and pessimist observations.

Damon was the ice-king. So why was sweet, loving Elena his queen?

Because Damon gets everything he wants, a voice whispered deep in Stefan's mind. Envy? Most likely for Stefan was very much envious of Damon. He had everything. He was cool and aloof and women loved him for that.

Damon went straight into the kitchen, Stefan hot on his heels. He opened the refrigerator and took out an ice pack and threw it at Stefan. Stefan caught it; his eyes fixed on Damon. "So… why are you here?" Stupid question, he knew. But he was willing to use anything to get rid of the awkward silence and thick tension you could not hack though with a chain saw.

Salvatore turned to him with one raised brow, "Do not play dumb with me,Whitmore. I'm not really in the mood for it, if you cannot tell. You know why I am here, so let's get straight to it." Of course, Damon hated beating around the bush.

Time to get on the defensive, "I believe I do have an idea, but you'll have to clear it up for me." Accompanied with a smirk, Stefan made it clear to Damon that he was prepared for a brawl: verbal, physical or even mental.

Damon frowned as his eyes narrowed, "Fine. We can play that game, Stefan. Do you mind if I ask you some questions?"

Stefan strolled past him and sat on his sofa. "Go ahead. I'll answer them all honestly and fully." Damon's eyebrow once again rose as he disapproved on his ex-best friend's behavior.

"What happened to the old Stefan?" he questioned aloud, not really caring if Stefan answered or not.

The other man shrugged remotely, "What happened to the old Damon? The old Elena? We've all changed. We don't stay children for eternity. I thought someone as smart and as rich as you could figure it out."

"Humph," Damon grunted, "Then why were you more mature as a child than you are now? Right, now to the real issues," He paused, and then continued with a monotone voice, "Back then, Elena thought that you and she were something. You promised her that it was something, and would turn into something more when you returned her declarations of love. She thought the feelings were mutual. But she was wrong."

Stefan was about to protest, but Damon held up a hand and Stefan decided to stay silent – for the moment – and think over what he would say. He had to make it clear to Damon that he was sorry for hurting Elena in the past, and that he loved her. And also that… Damon couldn't fight the love that Elena still contained for him because he knew that she still loved him! He KNEW! He was her first love, they were epic. "You were always unavailable when she needed love and comfort. Others had to fill in – I had to fill in. But then she realized when she saw you and Rebekah," he spoke her name in distaste but he supposed it was because of her than Elena had fallen out of love with Stefan and had eventually come to love him, and he had come to love someone. "Elena realized that it wasn't that real something that you had promised her. She was ready to love you forever, but you ran away from it. You got her hopes up for years and years of crushes and loving glances, wishing for you to return her love. But then you killed her when you rejected Elena for her."

"I was confused!" Stefan replied angrily. "I was only a simple teenager then, Damon. I wasn't ready for commitment!"

"But she was!" Damon shouted, "And she thought that you were too! You lied to her! You tricked her! You manipulated her into your own sick, twisted, little game whilst you played around with Rebekah. Elena – who had always trusted you, even when you cheated on her behind her back. She was broken by you! Where was she meant to go after that?"

"She found her way into your arms pretty easily!" Stefan retorted as his green eyes glared at Damon with the same force as the sun. If this was not Damon, he surely would have been melted by the intense stare. But this was Damon – the master of both cold and harsh glares – who was married to Elena – the mistress of both warmth and smiles.

"I can't believe that you broke her heart. I can't believe you let her fall so hard. Stop playing with her! How could you let it go that far, and still make it go farther now still, when she has gotten over it! Why did you claim that you cared for her if you had doubts that she wasn't the one? Everyone said that you were probably the most caring out of all of us. Everyone thought you would be honest if there was a girl you didn't love, but of course why would you say that if you were so caring? You played with her heart and broke it! I managed to fix it. But Jesus! Stefan, don't play with it now. You could have told her instead of her seeing you with another girl! Not the day after! But really… what was the reason? Was Rebekah the reason? Thereason you lost contact with Elena, the reason you didn't mind hurting her? The reason Elena couldn't be enough,"

"I didn't want to hurt her, Damon. I didn't know what I was doing."

"Exactly," Damon replied, "You didn't but you went along with it anyway. Her heart had a lot of trouble letting you go, I won't lie, but she's over it, I am her present and her future, and you, doing all this, it's hurting her, you are an important friend to both of us, you're hurting her by bringing things up from past,"

"You don't understand, Damon. What me and Elena did… it was different. It was special. You can't take that away from us?"

Damon grinned sadistically, "You forget Stefan, I already have. I own her heart now and forever and unlike you, I won't lose her, and I won't allow anyone to snatch her from me,"

"We were always best of friends – our bond is strong and is still is. Nothing can break it; not even the great Damon Salvatore. All those years of friendship had just made it – made us – that much stronger."

"She didn't care about the bond! She cared about you! She was with you; she thought that you loved her so to her, she was winning. She was in bliss, and you managed to take her from that utopia and place her in the dystopia. You took her from heaven and put her in hell; except I just managed to pull her out of it. She missed your friendship, but it's clear you didn't. You lost interest in her, then suddenly it's back again? You aren't the same, old Stefan and I tell you what, she's not the same, old Elena."

Stefan was deeply affected by Damon's words. They were so true. I can't believe that I let her fall so hard. I can't believe I broke her heart. How could I have let it go that far? I was so stupid! How? How could I have let her go? I said that I would love her forever – and I did. I do. It was just… my stupid teenage behavior! I said that I would look after her and protect her from those that would hurt her yet I was the one that scarred her for life. I wanted to love her for eternity, I just left her broken for eternity. Damon fixed her – shouldn't I be happy? If I love her so much, I should let her be happy, right? Oh! This is so confusing!

"Be a man, Stefan, be a man and let her go now,"

"You act as if it's the easiest thing in the world," Stefan hissed, standing up, now stepping towards Damon. "What if? What if she chooses me?" He presented the alternative to show Damon how the thought of them hurts him.

"She wouldn't," Damon replied, with full confidence.

"But what if? What if she decides she is in love with me only, what if she realizes I am the man she wants, will you be a man enough to let her go, like you're telling me, if that makes her happy," Stefan hissed every word.

They were just a meter away from each other. Eyes locked, jaws clenched, and furious looks on both of their faces.

"I love her and that means I will not be selfish with her, I'd let her go," Damon answered, finally, truthfully.

Stefan chuckled, humorlessly. "Huh, easy for you to say now," His face became blank again. "Let her go, then. Leave her,"

"Stefan, I said I'd be selfless, I am not stupid. She wants me, she loves me,"

"She loved me first," Stefan countered. "Remember, she said that, it's always gonna be Stefan,"

A bitter smile covered Damon's face, and to some extent, it satisfied Stefan, "Again, like you said, we've all changed and so did that, it's not you anymore, it's me and it will always be me,"

"I wouldn't be counting on that," Stefan said in somewhat threatening tone.

It hurt Damon. Not only because Stefan was threatening to steal his wife, but because his best friend was openly declaring war against him.

"Stefan. Honestly, up till now, I was humoring you, because, I thought that you were just acting out, and you'll understand soon, but, you, continuing to behave like this, I am disappointed in you, you're no longer the friend that I know,"

Damon held him by his collar, "But since you're no longer my friend. I am warning you, stay away from my wife," he threatened in a tone that would have scared the pants out of anyone, "I won't feel an ounce of guilt for breaking every bone in your body,"

And with that, Damon stood up and walked over to the door.

"I'll let myself out." The Italian left and Stefan was left alone in his apartment.

Solitary.

Unloved.

Pathetic.

..

..

So how do you like it? Finally Damon vs Stefan talk. Do you think Damon tried to be reasonable? Should Stefan continue fighting? Whose side are you on?

Spoiler for next chapter. Stefan kisses Elena. Yikes! Damon's is not going to like that.

I hope you're all doing fine. The pandemic isn't over yet guys, please be careful.

Thank you so much for reading. Hugs for all.

Review please, they give me inspiration to write more.