The Aftermath
by poopaw
(Disclaimer: I do not own TVD.)
Out of everyone, Stefan understands her the most.
It must be because once upon a time, he was his best friend. And now, Stefan was hers.
(If a=b, and b=c, then must it be that a=c?)
She calls Stefan because he would answer her calls. He wouldn't – couldn't ignore her. Not when she needs him the most.
He answers on the second ring and she's never happier to hear his voice.
"Stef," she quietly whispers on the other line. Rip the band-aid right off, Caroline. "Tyler knows I had sex with Kl–"
Her voice literally stops. It breaks, and she can't find it in her to make a conscious effort to get her voice back anymore.
He promises to arrive in five minutes. She has no doubt he will because he is Stefan Salvatore and he has never let her down before. He has always been the reliable one. The one who cares most (when his emotions are not turned off that is, otherwise he is ruthless).
He is her best friend and her mentor. Caroline honestly thinks that even if he were to promise to leave her alone forever, he wouldn't be able to.
(Unlike some people who keep terrible, terrible promises.)
"I begged him to stay, Stef," she unabashedly wails near the Falls. "I begged him to not leave me. I asked him to make me his number one priority for once and . . . and he didn't."
"His revenge was important to him," her best friend hands her a shot and she takes it gratefully. The unvoiced "The Original murdered his pack and his mother in cold blood" hangs thickly in the air.
"He left with no promise of ever returning. He gave up on us. I honestly thought he would never come back. Stefan, he was willing to die rather than live eternity with me," the pain in her voice is raw. She loves Tyler despite everything (the decision on whether she is in love with him is still up in the air) that has happened. The hurt is violently fresh against her being.
"Dear God, was it so bad that I decided to have a little fun?"
Stefan shrugs. "I think it's who you decided to have fun with, Care."
The shot glass crumbles under her grip because suddenly, she's bombarded with memories of his scent, his touch, his everything.
(The painful tug on her heart is solely because of Tyler walking away from her again, right?)
"I was never the second choice with him," she finally speaks after almost an hour of silence. Stefan never dares to break the quiet because he knows she needs this. She needs to come to terms with whatever is going on with her by herself.
Because in the end, her friends and family were not going to be the ones who will live with the consequences of her decisions.
"We killed two of his brothers and he never retaliated because I asked him not to. He let Tyler go because he knew how much I loved Tyler and how much it would devastate me if I lost him."
It's confusing. And it hurts.
(Oh god, she swears, it hurts so bad.)
She felt his gaze on her as she berated the band for playing badly. Once her little tirade is done, she looked over her shoulder and saw him sipping champagne by the cocktail table.
She ignored how he looked at her like she's the only person at the party.
"Do you think I'm a bad person?"
Stefan sighs and takes a swig from their bottle. "I occasionally behead people, position them back as if I hadn't just murdered them in cold blood, and keep their names for documentation."
Caroline shakes her head and suppresses a sarcastic chuckle.
Sometimes, she catches herself thinking of him and it isn't even about their glorious adventure in the woods. She remembers his humor, quite unexpected from someone she has witnessed to be so serious. She recalls the way he would try to win her over, with charming smiles and sweet words. She admires his strength as he still managed to stand tall, despite his mother's betrayal.
(But it doesn't hurt to remember how magnificent his body moved against hers either.)
"For what it's worth, Care," Stefan hugs her close, making sure his lips are centimeters away from her ear so she could hear his message loud and clear. "I think you deserve to be with someone who is willing to do anything for you."
"And if it's him I deserve?"
"Whether or not you decide he's worth the risk, I guarantee at least one person who will be in your corner no matter what."
His declaration of loyalty scares her because it's much more concrete now. Someone, other than herself, agrees with her inner most thoughts and desires.
She thinks of calling him.
But not now.
Author's Note: The story doesn't really have a concrete timeline. Sometimes, it'll jump from when Klaus just left to a few months/years/haven'tdecidedreally after he has left.
If you have any suggestions or criticisms, leave a review and tell me how you feel. Thanks for all the reviews/follows/favorites recently. It's encouraging.