STEFAN SALVATORE

angel and angelus

spike

riley finn

allen francis doyle

wesley wyndam-pryce

xander harris

rupert giles

steve harrington

eddie munson

kale brecht

louis de pointe du lac

lestat de lioncourt

kayce dutton

rip wheeler

beth dutton

john dutton

elena gilbert

jeremy gilbert

more on request

           "Psh, I don’t even have a scene these days.“ she’s in her pockets, now. Slowly walking towards the mouth of the alley, assuming Stefan will follow after her without her having to extend an invitation. Faith finds what she’s looking for — a pack with one cigarette left in it and a silver, butane lighter she’s never bothered to give back to Spike. She pulls the cigarette out of the pack with her teeth and ditches the wrapper, "Always after a fresh start. That’s your problem, right there.”

It takes two tries to get the lighter to flame but she lights the cigarette, pockets the lighter and takes the thing out of her mouth to motion at Stefan with it, “You ever thought of just movin’ on? I mean, yeah, I’m not exactly the poster girl for twelve-step success, or anything. Just mean, hey. You got all the time in the world, man. Gonna waste it making the same friggin’ mistakes over and over again?”

                    And, it should go without saying that Elena Gilbert qualifies as one of these fucking ‘mistakes’. Faith’s met the woman all of twice, didn’t like her, but that doesn’t color the fact that she could’ve told Stefan in 2009 that Elena was destined to leave his fat ass for Damon. It’s just the way things were and anyone with two eyes and a brain could’ve seen it coming but, oh no. Not Stefan. He still had the dim idea that people, human people, were probably good deep down. Maybe if he pretended to be human, some of that goodness would eventually rub off on him.

                   "Look. I get it, okay? Just, I dunno. Doesn’t seem like it’s working for you’s all I’m saying.“

"Well," Stefan sighed as he fell into step with Faith, "When you're right, you're right. It feels like every time I try to take a step forward I get knocked five steps back. Or I trip over my own feet."

If Stefan knew anything, he knew what Faith was getting at. His mistakes were always the same but the last mistake was maybe the worst of his life. As happy as he had tried to be with Elena in the early years, it was always too hard and it never really felt right. She was beautiful. Sweet and kind. All the things Stefan had always told himself he wanted and he did want those things... but Elena wasn't exciting. It was shallow. He knew that but Stefan craved just a little bit of adventure in his life. In some ways he was truly envious of his brother's ability to find danger in every situation.

Stefan couldn't do that. He was still a ripper and as hard as he tried to keep it at bay, even when everything was going perfectly he still had the hunger. He still jonsed for the kill. Something Elena never would have understood.

             You know what Faith loves about vampires? She keeps getting older, they stay the same age and for every stupid memory she’s got of Damon? There’s a sweet one attached to Stefan. Sure, more bad than good, there. A really good summer that ended in every level of tragedy, but that’s just the way everything in Sunnydale was. The world didn’t lose anything when they cratered that town, not anything that mattered, “Yeah, like there’s really a 401K retirement package for Slayers. Gotta know better by now. I’m gonna be out on the prowl until they haul my ass to the curb.”

There’s precious little in Faith’s life that reminds her of those days. In fact, she’s happy to go literal cities out of her way to avoid Buffy Summers and any sharp, cold recollections of the unfortunate time they wasted together in this life. The pain, the scars. Actual, real scars in Faith’s case, but she never planned to have children, anyway. Still doesn’t. That internal clock never did start ticking for her. And, while Buffy’s something to be avoided at all costs? Faith’s nostalgia makes it hard to say no to Stefan when he wanders to close to her orbit.

     She smirks at the wince, half shrugs, “Hey, what can I say? Cross fit, man. It’ll change your life. What in hell are you doin’ here, anyway? Thought you boys were off redemption seeking or something?”

Stefan smiled when she asked if he had been redemption seeking, "I dunno, I don't think turning over a new leaf ever actually works for me." he admitted. She knew him too well. He had his habits of finding a new town and a new school so that he could try and start his life all over again but the newness wore off quickly. When it didn't, the new life he had carved out for himself would implode if he was lucky. Explode if he wasn't and he would have to pick up and move to start anew, somewhere else.

They were distant right now but Stefan could still smell her cheap perfume. The stuff he bought her the first time she dragged him to The Bronze. He could still feel summer warmth if he stood too close to her. Faith was a lot of things; a vampire slayer and a rebel chiefly among them. One thing she would always be was a flickering memory of youth he so desperately missed. Sure he still looked seventeen and he always would but she was freedom and blue skies. She was wild in a way no vampire could ever be. He would always be a little sorry he allowed her to grow up when he had the power to stop it in it's tracks.

             It’s late. Well, early, honestly. Minutes until sunrise and Faith’s not on her game, this morning. The week’s been grueling, nest after nest clustered in the heart of Chicago. A city Faith’s never been all that fond of, to begin with. Cold, windy and stupid on a level that scientists can’t even study.

Still, she might be on her last leg but she’s Faith. Her last leg’s not exactly chopped liver, and the vampire she’s beating on doesn’t seem like he wants to go down anytime soon. He better figure it out —- if she doesn’t kill him, the fucking sun will.

      She fan-kicks at him once and he dodges, but she’s an agile thing and the second fan sickles him right in the jaw, lands his ass on the pavement. Her stake’s out before her brain catches up to what’s going on and, by miracle of miracles, Stefan manages to stop the stake before it makes contact. Faith returns his wince with a squint, pushes her hair out of her face and drops the hand holding the stake to her side, “Stef, damn.” she holds a hand out to help him to his feet, “Cuttin’ it kinda close these days, don’t ya think? I mean, it’s like you got that famous Salvatore death wish or something.”

Stefan gratefully took Faith's hand and pulled himself up, "I guess I never learned my lesson about skulking around dark alleys." That was an understatement but without active vampire slayers on duty the world had become a lot more hospitable to creatures of the night such as himself.

How Stefan found himself in Chicago was a mystery even to him. When he left Mystic Falls he had meant to continue on to the west coast and start over again. Some new town where no one knew him or would recognize him. He would enroll in high school just as he always had before and pretend the last dozen years had never happened. Now he was glad for the layover in Chicago because he hadn't seen Faith Lehane in over a decade.

thatslayer‌:

           Writing a response to someone on d/c and just realized that in her old age, Faith’s real superpower is the ability to force herself to stop giving a crap about someone if they hurt her. Where can I get that ability? Target? I hope?

YES. Stef really needs that kick in the ass too. He thinks what they had was huge and it’s only a matter of time. She will come right back to him. He’s never had to really fight for a woman in his life when Elena fell in love with Damon he just GAVE HER UP. What the fuck. He does really love Faith he just has to fight for her.