Continuation of 1x22 Blood Brothers; After Elena convinced Stefan to put back on his ring and live.

We drove back from the quarry as a blaring silence consumed the car.
It was not our usual peaceful and comfortable silence when we are just content being in each other's presence.
This silence was different.
I know Stefan- almost better than anyone, and I could tell that something was plaguing his mind.
I looked at him out of the corner of my eye, and I could tell that the haunted look has escaped his eyes, but one filled with a deep sadness has taken its place.
I abruptly decided to swerve to the side of the rode and park the car.
I slowly reached for his hand and he took it, but he still refused to look at me.
I gently placed my hands on both sides of his face and whispered,

"Stefan- please look at me,"

as I softly moved his head, so it was facing mine before I continued,

"What is going through your mind right now? Please talk to me. I love you so much, just please let me in."

I said in a desperate voice, his silence beginning to scare me.
After a long minute of him looking deeply into my eyes, fighting something internally, he finally spoke in a small broken voice,

"H-How could you possibly still love me Elena? After everything that I just put you through how do you n-not want to l-leave me?"

He looked away from my eyes out of shame before he chocked out in a voice as low as a whisper,

"I would completely understand i-if you did,"

My heart shattered into a million pieces, his devastated expression completely broke me.
How could he possibly ever think that?
After everything that we have been through, after all the memories we have created together how could it even cross his mind that I do not want to be with him?
My throat tightened after I realized unshed tears were resting on the corners of my eyes.
I will make sure he knows how loved he is, how much Ilove him.

"Stefan- look at me, please"

He slowly faced me, and as I saw his broken expression the tears began to spill uncontrollably from my eyes onto my cheeks.

"I love you so much Stefan, more than you could ever know, more than anything in my whole life. Without you I would not know what to do or how to live. H-How could you ever think that? How could you ever think I would leave you?"

I tried so hard to stay strong, but when I looked at him and saw the pain in his eyes, my body became weak and the next thing I know I was sobbing into his chest as he held me in his strong arms.
He enveloped me in a gentle embrace as he buried me in his being.
His warmth and unconditional love consumed me as he began to gently caress my hair and shower me with light kisses.
He gradually pulled back to gaze into my eyes, as he tenderly wiped a lone tear off my cheek.
Then he whispered softly into my ear,

"I will always love you Elena. I don't know what I did to deserve your love, but I swear to you, I will love you for the rest of my existence. I am eternally yours, for as long as you want me, I will be here."

My whole being melted at his words as my body sank into his.
He delicately pulled my chin up, so it was resting on his upper chest before he kissed me.
It was a soft yet passionate kiss.
Filled with an explosive love that I know he held only for me.
The kiss began to escalate as we became desperate to be as close to each other as possible.
I ran my fingers through his soft hair as he wrapped his arms around me deepening the kiss.
After what could have been an hour, or merely ten minutes, I looked at the clock and saw that it was almost midnight.
With all the strength in my body I reluctantly pulled back and breathlessly whispered,

"It's almost midnight Stefan, we should get going back to your house soon."

I heard a weak groan escape his lips as I said those words and pulled back from the kiss.
He turned to me and lightly kissed my lips one last time as I drove onto the main roads back to his house.
This ride was different.
Stefan was at ease and I could see the sadness and pain had almost completely left his eyes.
For the rest of the ride home, he held my hand in his as his thumb gently rubbed the back of my hand. This simple gesture made a permanent smile display across my face.

We finally made it back to his house and as he left the car, a pang of sadness spread throughout my body.
I did not want to leave him, not tonight, not ever again.
I began to reluctantly pull out of his driveway, but all I longed for was to be in his bed, with his arms wrapped around me as I drift off to sleep into his warm chest.
I was almost gone before I caught a glimpse of him in my rearview mirror jogging back to me.
As he approached my car, he asked me a simple question in a quiet voice, desperation filled his eyes before he spoke,

"Please stay Lena- can you please stay with me tonight?"

I looked at him with love filling me to the brim before I said,

"Of course Stefan," as I took his hand as he helped me out of the car.

This night was so exhausting, just the thought of snuggling up beside him, underneath the warmth of his covers filled me with serotonin.

I leaned into his body resting my chin on his shoulder as we walked up the stairs into his room.
Before I could even say anything, he gently lifted me up off my feet and cradled me into his chest.
He did this as if it was nothing, like I was a light as a feather, and delicately placed me into his cozy bed.
I breathed out a sigh of contentment as he got into bed and pulled my body closer into his chest, almost as if he let go of me, I would simply disappear.
I just relished in this beautiful moment and he tucked a strand of hair out of my face before he murmured, "I love you so much," into my ear.
In this moment, my whole being went into a state of clarity.
I almost lost him tonight.
If he gave up, if he gave into the guilt, I could have lost him forever.
This thought sent a stab of pure terror throughout my whole body at the realization that if tonight went differently, I may not be in his arms at all.
Instead, I would be grieving the loss of the love of my life, my soulmate.
This notion, the very thought that this could have been my reality, made my body go limp as I began to uncontrollably shake under his grasp.
I clung to his shirt with all my strength and sobbed into his chest.
Without hesitation, Stefan just pulled me in tighter worry filled his voice as he cradled me in his arms. "Shhh Lena, what's wrong my love? Please talk to me- please,"
I could not get a single word out for at least another minute while he gently caressed my hair and cooed comforting words into my ear as I cried.
Finally, I told him what was going through my head.

"I-I could have l-lost you tonight S-Stefan," I said through sobs.

"I d-don't know w-what I would do w-without you. I love you s-s-so much. I just- I just,"

I could not even finish my sentence before new tears spilled from my eyes.
I looked away in shame and out of pure embarrassment.
He lovingly placed both hands on each side of my face, just like I did to him earlier, and I could see the pain in his eyes as he saw my broken expression.
He then slowly rested his forehead against mine and said in a stern yet promising voice,

"Elena Gilbert, for as long as you live, I swear to you I will never leave your side again. You are the reason I wake up every morning and choose to fight… to not give myself over to the blood. You are my humanity Elena, the thing stopping me from letting the guilt take over. Every piece of me belongs to you my love, every inch of me is yours. I love you so much Elena… so so so much,"
My body begins to calm down as I bury my face into his chest as I whisper back, "I love you too Stefan… I love you too,"

We just laid there and held each other never wanting to let go, never wanting to break this moment of pure bliss.
My eye lids began to get heavy as I slowly drifted off to sleep. The last thing I felt before slumber took over was Stefan's soft lips brushing against my hair as the sound of his even breathing lulled me to sleep.