I wake up and he's gone.

So that leaves me all alone in the boarding house with a single diary. Everywhere I look it's like the house has been ransacked by thieves but that would be impossible because a] Stefan would never let that happen and b] the sight of the boarding house was more prone to getting someone diagnosed with conjunctivitis than attract them. Yet, after living in this place for nearly a year and a half, I'm still not used to it. It's hardly home actually. Most of the time, Stefan and I are out hunting or we'll camp under the stars and simply enjoy life. The real life – what's really out there!, in Stefan's words. But the thought of the wilderness and immortality still scares me sometimes. Once a fortnight, I'd watch Aunt Judith and the family grow.

It's like I'm watching a movie where the characters live their lives and I'm just a spectator. If they live, I'll watch. If they die, I'll just watch.

I know. Who wishes for death? But at this point, I do, because I'm not sure if I can keep living and living on for thousands of years like Stefan. Where are we heading any way? Can this irrevocable love last as long as I thought it could?

I'm afraid of the future. I'm afraid of what's out there. I'm just not ready yet.

-----------------

Stefan slipped his pale hands into the pockets of his blue jeans and walked down the prosaic, grey paths of Mystic Falls. The chill bit him and after starving himself for nearly three days now, he felt his body shiver not from the cold but from the overwhelming temptation in him. He needed to feed. He needed to feed now. A few minutes ago, that rabbit in Damon's hand would have been like water in an oasis. Delightful.

Stefan's head shot up when he swore he something ruffle through the old willow tree. He narrowed his eyes towards it and could have sworn he saw something black. Something like a crow.

Damon.

That was the first thing that struck his mind. He waited for a while for an incoming din but eerie silence simply surrounded him. However the thought of Damon didn't fade away easily. He was paranoid now and Damon's earlier words echoed in his ears like disturbing, unrest souls.

"What?"Damon's mouth had been sharp and his lips, thin when he spoke after Stefan's announcement. The rabbit in his hand had immediately scurried away to save its life but whatever Damon did made it freeze then writhe in pain before eventually dying. Stefan had watched Damon's iris turn into nothing but dark voids which dilated as every minute went by.

"I said."Stefan had continued. "I'm going to ask Elena to marry me."

"I heard what you said. I'm not that deft."Damon had sneered as he rested a palm on one of the nearby trees.

"Okay."

"Are you out of your mind?" Damon had neither shouted nor yelled but remained calm. His voice was steady but the aura he emanated was fiery enough to roast a chicken. Stefan sensed the amount of anger in him but Damon was doing nothing to pour it out neither was he doing anything to conceal it.

"Are you seriously sane now?"Damon had crossed his arms across his chest and licked his lips. "Are you hearing yourself Stefan?"

"I've thought about everything and…."

"Everything?"Damon had interjected and approached his younger brother. "Frankly Stefan, I think after graduating for more than two thousand times would have made you an Einstein but…"

"Quit with the games Damon."

"…looks like I'm wrong."Damon had ignored Stefan's remark and slowly narrowed his eyes at him like a snake hypnotizing its prey before coiling it to death. He flashed his pointed teeth at his younger brother then receded. "Oh wait, that's right. You've spent your time studying about humans and their history than you've forgot the history of your own, real kind."

"Damon…."

"Tell me Stefan." Damon had turned his body swiftly and stared into Stefan's hungry eyes. "How many volumes of the book of edicts have you read?"

"Damon I know where this is heading too…"

"Good." He spat and shoved Stefan's right shoulder, an attempt to knock the sense out of him. "Because if you clearly remember there is a certain rule-"

"Where vampires can't fall in love with their own made vampires." Stefan had shrugged then sighed.

"You made Elena."

"I know Damon."

"Do you….understand it?"Damon had spoken sarcastically and raised an eyebrow only to have Stefan shoot him a glare. "I mean, I know the book's written in Italian but don't tell me you've been learning English for centuries that you've forgotten your own language!"He seemed amused by his own sentence and began chuckling. "Ciao Stefan."

"This isn't fun and games any more Damon."Stefan had sneered and instantly, Damon's face grew more and more serious like an aggravated person. His eyes had grown narrower like how it always would whenever Damon Salvatore got irritated.

"You're right."He had snickered and before Stefan was even able to blink, he found himself being slammed against the hard, wooden oak tree. His bones had felt weak and the power inside of him had felt nothing stronger than a glowing candle trying to rekindle. Damon had him gripped by his collar with his teeth flashing, ready to bite.

"Feed on me. Go ahead."Stefan hissed but Damon tossed him a look of disgust.

"You? A meagre lunatic?!" There was no intonation of humour but mockery in his remark. "Oh please Stefan, I'd rather eat the rabbit." Damon spat the accumulated saliva in his mouth and glared into his brother's piercing green eyes. "But if you go against the rule you bring Elena down with you."
"That's what they always say." With all his might Stefan pushed Damon's grip off of him and found himself in an eye-to-eye war with his older brother.

"What they always say is always true."

"Yeah. How come there was not sound and havoc when I fell in love and revealed our world to Elena?"Stefan had snapped. "Volume IV, rule twenty four regarding Vampires falling in love with those not of their kind."

"Why do you think I left for Italy every month?"Damon had snickered and Stefan slowly felt his muscles relax. "Going on vacation?"

"Wait you..."

"You caused a great deal of mess back home and I had to fix it since you were too blind and lovesick to even see the world around you."Damon paused and tilted his head. "Let alone, our world."

"There was a fight? Why didn't you tell me about the battle?!"

Damon had snorted and began to randomly pluck the dried, crisped leaves from the tree. "And share my heroic attention with you-?"He had laughed. "I don't think so.

"So why do you care now?"Stefan had snickered. "After all."He continued. "The consequences are prosecution."Stefan had slowly inched towards his older brother and hissed. "I thought you'd be more than happy to watch me leave."

"Do you hear yourself?"Damon had been in rage and he had immediately swung his hands into the air to pin his little brother to the oak tree. "I will not let you put Elena in such risks. I will not let you have high hopes of fighting the battle alone just to save yourself from this thing."

"Then fight with me."Stefan's eyes had grown red as he flashed his fangs.

"I don't think so." Damon had hauled his brother to the ground and took a deep breath when he felt the tips of his nose grow cold from the chill. "I won't let you risks Elena's life even if she agrees."

He curled his lips and slowly squatted beside Stefan who laid still on the ground.

"Your ridiculous lifestyle and atrocious record of rule breaking weakens our realm everyday you know that?"Damon had sneered and Stefan shad lowly began to sit up. "This is an advantage to the Powers because they know we're slowly getting blinded by these fragile humans and giving our life away for them."Damon had knocked the back of Stefan's head and glowered at him. "I will not let our empire die because of your stupid irresponsible acts."

He had gotten up to leave by then but paused when Stefan spoke.

"Damon. This is all about Elena isn't it? What really matters?" He had pulled himself up and looked at his idle brother who had his back at him. "You can't fool me. As much as fighting the Powers mean to you don't deny you have a heart for Elena. "He then approached his brother from the back and paused to whisper into Damon's ears. "I love her more than you do to put her in jeopardy."

Then he walked off, leaving Damon standing there alone.

Stefan sighed as he reminisced the times.

He stood up to continue walking but paused when he heard a crow. His head snapped into the direction of the sound and he noticed it.

It, the crow was there. Watching him under a microscope like he was something to eat.

Stefan continued to stare at it before it eventually flew off.

The minute Stefan got home Elena was there sitting by the window sill in her beautiful night gown. The wind from outside blew her hair back making her look like a weightless angel in the air. She slowly turned when she heard the door open and tossed him a sincere smile. Elena mouthed him a greeting and broke into a beam when Stefan planted a kiss on her cheek.

"I missed you." Elena whispered and she felt her heart jump when Stefan casted her one of those smiles that would have easily made girls like Caroline go berserk.

"Elena." His voice was like a lullaby which made her feel safe and loved for, just like a baby.

Elena watched Stefan gracefully kneel onto the floor before pulling an antique velvet box out.

"Will you marry me?"

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