Empty street.
Orange lights.
Cold breeze.
And a heart next to his body on the ground. then she's running to him, holding his dead body and shouting her lungs out. But nothing comes out. She keeps screaming but no one hears her, even she can't hear herself.
Her eyes shut open, and her body jumps off the bed as if she was falling in her dream. She takes a deep breath and closes her eyes; it was a dream. She curses herself for having those dreams until now, it's been three weeks. And shouldn't she have dreams about her dead friend? He's alive now, so why can't she forget about it?
Her mind is blowing. Many questions but no answers. Something had changed ever since that night; the idea of losing Stefan changed something in her. She doesn't know what is it, or why. But it's something, and it's killing her.
She doesn't like how it makes her feel,having someone in her life that she'd do anything for. literally anything.
She has no control over anything in her life.
She can't bring her friends back, she can't understand Elena, She can't fix the spell on their town. And she can't stop herself from walking out of her room, wrapping her jacket around her as she stands in front of his door. It was a good choice to have his room next to hers.
She hesitates before opening the door. She doesn't move for a moment, her hand still holding the door as she listens. His heart is beating. And it makes her whole body relax. The rhythm of his pulse makes her close her eyes and take a deep breath.
She doesn't know how or when, but she's standing right there, in the middle of his room. She swallows hard as she looks at him. She walks slowly to his side of the bed, her eyes wandering on his body. And for her relief , his heart is in its place.
She puts a strand of hair behind her ear and crosses her arms against her chest as she watches him. And by now, she doesn't know if the pulse she's hearing is his own or hers. She can feel her heart pumping out of her chest.
She lets out a breath and shakes her head, mentally rolling her eyes for her lack of control as she pushes the blanket away and sits next to him. Her eyes are still on his face as she starts to lie on the bed.
She looks at his face one more time before settling her head on his chest, exactly on his heart. She feels a shiver going through her as she listens to his pulse, so loud, so steady and so close.
She closes her eyes as she rests her hand against his chest. Breathing in and out; trying to match his breath, just like she did years ago in that bathroom.
She finally starts to relax, her heartbeats calming down. And then she feels his hand on her arm, stroking it gently. Her eyes open, but she doesn't move. Yet, her hand clutches to his shirt. As his other hand goes up to her head, moving back and forth on her hair.
She wants to capture that moment, right here, right now. She wants to remember this feeling forever. His hand on her arm, warming her up. And his other hand on her hair, stroking it as if she was his own. It's one touch, and all the pain is gone. One touch makes her feel new, alive.
She closes her eyes, inhaling his scent, memorizing his touch. In her whole life, she never felt protected like that. It was like he was holding her in his arms, preventing her from breaking, holding her together.
She hears him sighing and she can feel the pain in his bones. The weight he's been carrying for so long. She wants to comfort him, but instead he's the one holding her in his embrace.
Little does she know, that all what he needs to heal is to have her right there.
Next to his heart.
Wrapped in his arms, as if she was his.