During their second year of university Elena started working as a barista in a popular coffee shop on the campus, making her college career a little bit harder, but not impossible. On her third year she found a better offer in a local bookstore, and Stefan often joked she will give up on college and stay in that little bookstore forever, since she fell in love with it since the first time she stepped inside of it. It was a small, quaint bookstore in the center of the city in an little, old, rusty building between a mall and a skyscraper. Elena was surprised they managed to stay in business but she was determined to help them keep it running.
During the third year Stefan got scouted by Giants as well, which had put some extra pressure on their relationship since he was out of the town a lot, especially during the football season, barely finishing his college obligations. Elena didn't let him quit, though, she helped him as much as she could, and he succeeded in playing football professionally and dealing with his college obligations.
Elena had a steady paycheck and due to so little time to spend all the money, most of it stayed sitting on her bank account, allowing her to save some money, which was nothing on Stefan's income due to the perks of playing in the professional league.
They got themselves a little apartment near the campus. Nothing big, nothing fancy, just a two room flat, enough for them to live in when they decided their dorm rooms do not provide them with enough privacy anymore. They needed something more, they had to take the next step.
When they were done with college, after receiving their diplomas, they moved to New York and Elena had to give up her dream to live in San Francisco. Well, that's what relationships are about anyway, compromise. For her, he finished college, majoring in Socioeconomic, and she moved to New York for him.
Maybe one day she gets a chance to live in San Francisco, but until then, New York will do just fine. It wasn't even as half as bad as he thought it would be. It was easier for Stefan since New York was the home of his team so he didn't have to travel so much anymore and they got to spend more time together.
She got herself a job in the publishing industry, but she had a hard time saying goodbye to the small bookstore in New Jersey and the owners were having a hard time with letting her go.
Despite their parents best efforts to bring them home after getting their diplomas, at least for a while, that simply wasn't possible. Neither of them were sure they even want to go back to Mystic Falls, at least not right now.
Bonnie stayed in New York as well, still working at the recording label she had her internship in.
Rebekah and Damon got married during her second year of college. It came out of the blue, actually. He suggested they should get married while he was drunk. She accepted the proposal while being drunk herself. The next day they drove to Vegas to get it done with. After getting a diploma Rebekah decided it would be best for her future career of a fashion designer, if they moved to New York as well. Luckily, Damon was able to get a job at the same company he was working in, just in a different city.
Tyler and Caroline broke up some time ago, then they got back together, then broke up again, and so on over the years. They're still having an on-off relationship even though Caroline stayed in Los Angeles, working as an assistant of a party planner, and Tyler went back to Mystic Falls.
Over the years Stefan had the opportunity to watch Elena grow into a beautiful, sophisticated, elegant, confident young woman, and he was pretty sure the look she was wearing at the age of 25 wasn't the last edition of her he will see. He had the luxury of knowing that chubby four year old, with thick, curly brown hair and chocolate smudged around her mouth. He also had the luxury of knowing a ten year old whose hair now thinned and somehow got straight, who was taller than him and better coordinated. He watched that playful girl turn into a bookworm with long, lean legs, with a heart that held million of stories and eyes which were indicating her soul was much older than anyone would think. He loved all of those girls. He also loved the woman those girls grew into.
He loves that woman.
They decided to go out for dinner. He watched her get ready.
He smiled because she was so oblivious of his thoughts and he was so undeserving of hers.
He watches her as she pulls her brush over her hair, slowly, graciously, before she puts it down on her vintage table in their bedroom, and pulls her long fingers through the softness of her hair. Few strains of her hair fall out of the place and her reflection in the mirror smiles at her because she hates when her hair is too tamed.
She pulls skin color stockings up her legs and slips into a tight, comfortable little black dress, and after few seconds of thinking she decides to wear stilettos over pumps. She applies minimum make up, like she usually does, little bit of mascara and blush, while he especially enjoys hew newly discovered fondness of red lipstick.
"See something you like?" she asks playfully when she catches him watching her.
A delighted smile appears on his face, which is, at the same time, his response to her question. She grabs the clutch bag from the dresser and puts it under her arm, walks over to him and gives him a peck on the lips, enjoying the fact she's the same height as him now when she's wearing high heels.
She fixes the collar of his blazer before she brings her face closer to his neck, taking the smell of his perfume up her nostrils, making a silent, moaning sound as she nuzzles her nose against she skin of his neck.
He takes her by the hand, lacing his fingers with hers, making her pull her head up, and once she did the moment of dizziness occurred. She smiled at him and followed his step which led towards the front door.
He took her to a small Italian restaurant on the next block, a restaurant which soon became their favorite and in which all of the waiters know them by their first names. It's nothing big like most things in New York are. It's small and cozy and everyone are friendly and, in some ways, it reminds them of home.
They laughed. He loved making her laugh, and she loved how after all these years he was able to make her laugh.
He often made inappropriate comments, and she still blushed when those words escaped his mouth. Some things never change.
They ate, drank, she stole his dessert after she finished hers.
He held her hand on the way home and gave her his blazer because the night was chilly and she didn't bring a jacket.
She whispered she wants him into his ear, and his fingers sank into her skin through the thin fabric of her dress.
Their apartment is on the fifth floor of the building. It's a spacey two bedroom apartment. At the front there's a small hallway with peach walls and hardwood floor, coat hanger and bunch of pictures on the walls. She knows nothing about art, he knows even less, but she loves buying those black and white pictures every chance she gets. It became a habit which soon turned into an addiction. The hallway leads to the living room with three white walls and one painted in the color of blood. Stefan picked out the leather sofa and the big television screen, and Elena picked out the rest of the furniture, mostly shelves for her books. There's a small kitchen in the back, and on the other side there's door to their bedroom which is connected to the bathroom.
Words their bedroom leave a sweet taste in both of their mouths.
She falls on the sofa and pulls him down with herself. He puts his hands on the sofa beside her body so he wouldn't crush her with his weight, even though he doubts she would even notice since she's devouring his lips hungrily while trying to get his shirt off of him. Her fingers are busy with the buttons of his shirt and before she gets it off completely he pushes himself away from her, detaching himself from her. She looks up at him confused, maybe even a little bit disappointed.
"I have a surprise for you," he smiles nervously before disappearing behind the bedroom door.
She claps with the palms of her hands excitedly like a little kid. She loves surprises.
He comes out of the room, carrying what seem to be a book as thick as the Bible, maybe even thicker, with old, brown cover. But there are no stitches sticking out of it, indicating her that it's brand new despite the fact it looks old.
He hands the book to her, lowering it in her hands. Once she gets a better chance to look at it she realizes it's not made out of paper, but out of plastic, and it feels a little bit hollow.
She directs him a questioning look and he mimics for her to open the book.
When she does she realizes she was right, it is made out of plastic. And between two thin plastic walls there are photographs. Photographs of them since kindergarten, in a chronological order. There's a picture of them on a kindergartens playground, first day of school, summer camp, her birthday party. On the next page there are pictures of them from High School. The picture of him trying to push her in the pool in Rome someone took, them kissing at a party, dancing at Prom, followed by their pictures from college and beyond.
She can feel tears prickling behind her eyelids everytime she blinks, but she stops herself from crying because, even though she's on the last page, she can feel there's more to the book. She turns the last page around and finds the source of hollowness. There's a small hole in the middle with a little, black box placed inside of it.
She gasps upon seeing it there because she knows exactly what it is and something clamps around her heart, making it harder for her to breathe. She raises her look up to him, her eyes locking with his. There's something inside of his throat he can't swallow. His fingers travel to the small hole in the book and he takes the little, black box out of it, twirling it between his fingers.
"I've been thinking a lot about doing this," he keeps his look on the box in between his fingers, "Days, weeks, months probably. Sometimes it seems like years. It probably was years. I've known a long time ago that I want to marry you," a small smile crept up on the corners of his lips, making her smile lightly as well. He closed the book and shifted it on the couch so her lap is free, before taking her hand into his and falling on one knee.
He was nervous. He never thought he will be nervous. And he wasn't nervous because he thought she might say no. He wasn't nervous out of all the manly reasons like being tied to one woman for the rest of his life. He had no problems with being with her, and only her, for as long as he lives. His nervousness was the product of excitement.
Her palms were sweaty. But that's okay, so were his.
She was fighting to keep her breath steady until she realized she lost it completely. Her heart was pounding violently, her eyes burning alongside her cheeks, and her throat was dry. She felt like she was going to pass out even though she knew this moment will come one day.
She knew she's going to marry him one day as well.
"You know how fucking much I love you," he said, making her smile, "We've been through so much together, and I really don't need a piece of paper, or a ceremony as a confirmation that you're mine," he raises his look from the box and looks into her shimmering eyes, "But I want it, and I know you want it, so I want to give it to you. I want the whole world to know how much I love you," he opens the box and her eyes fall on the ring inside of it and she squeals silently upon seeing it. He lets go of her hand for a moment to take the ring out. He tosses the box on the sofa and takes her hand back into his. "So, it would be great if you decide to do me the honor of becoming my wife."
"Yes," she says right after he finishes his sentence. She smiles at him and he smiles right back at her as he slides the ring down her finger.
She throws her arms around his neck and their lips find a way to each other.