#doevcted

"Is this.... a physical thing or an emotional thing? Can I slap some blood on it or do I have to play therapist for a minute?"

"Well Elena. I don't know if anyone's ever told you this... but real friends don't show up out of obligation. They show up because they care."

her voice nearly doesn't register as stefan's gaze remains fixed over her curves. the sight only reminds him of the hours they'd just shared locked in together. his hands on her skin, her lips praising him, the moans, the warmth and ecstasy he felt once he was inside of her. hours. they'd been together for hours, and stefan was still just as starved as a man who'd gone without sustenance for days.

how was it possible that one woman kept him so enamored? so hungry and so full all at once.

eventually he did gather himself, if only enough to spot the very shirt she'd just mentioned and hide it between his bare back and the mattress beneath him in a very obvious manner. with a boyish grin, stefan shrugged his shoulders. " you had a shirt? don't remember that. i guess this means you're going to have to stay longer. "

stefan made no attempt to hide the way he looked at her, drinking in the sight of her in nothing but a bra and the skirt she arrived in - unfortunately, the rest of her underwear was beyond the point of being able to put back on (he'd buy her another pair, he swore he would!)

" do you really need to go? i can make you breakfast, and then i can make you breakfast. it'll be much better than whatever you're trying to leave me for out there. " he teased.

    he had a tendency to zone out, truth be told it was easy to zone out during his lab. it'd be a better lie if he told himself that he was thinking about the experiment they were running, or going over the lecture they had yesterday. but in reality, he was forcing himself to stay awake. almost twitching when she called to him, " right!" doing his best to act like she hadn't startled him. laughing as he handed over the flask, " sorry. late night studying." half wondering if she'd started to get used to his excuses--or even believed them at this point.

— Damon's eyelids droop low and heavy over the lecherous blue of his eyes; a quiet, teasing a glint catching the light as the sharp edge of his mouth point itself outward like a knife, playful, and dangerously self-assured. You could cut yourself on the edges of him unnoticed . "Like what?" he plays clueless, stepping into her personal space with casual intimacy, inviting her to explain.

he'd seen it coming the minute they entered the campus. while the strangers who crossed their paths saw nothing more than a young couple - a doe-eyed beauty that seemed to have it all, and her protective partner loyal at her side - stefan saw trembling hands and a change in pace. apprehension. a slightly slower pace, as if trying to avoid something. he was careful to pay attention to her while paying attention to where they were, wanting to be alert in case they were being set up for some sort of trap while acknowledging that she wasn't doing as well as most others would think.

it wasn't long after interviewing some of the whitmore staff, hearing their fond recollections of their time with her father that he felt her begin to break. quickly, stefan pulled her into a quiet, empty lecture hall that he hoped would stay empty while she rode it out.

at first he simply stood by the door, allowing her some space to process whatever it was that was overwhelming her. giving her time to put a name to it, to figure out where it hurt the most. grief usually hit him in the chest, sharp like a small knife he could never manage to dig out. but in his experience, it was different for everyone and important to deal with.

but then she looked at him. eyes wide, filled with tears and what almost seemed like all of the sadness in the world. one look at her and he melted. she was in his arms, pressed safely to his chest almost as soon as it happened.

screw space.

" baby, " he mumbles, an endearment reserved for truly intimate moments. " you're alright. i've got you. it's alright. " the words were repeated for as long as it took for her to settle. " do you want to leave? we can go home. we don't need to do this. "

the intensity of his gaze finds her, studies her for a moment as if he could discern the motivation behind her words through visual cues alone. ❛❛ indeed it is, ❜❜ he responds after a moment, tone noncommittal but not unkind. ❛❛ i imagine a girl as popular as yourself has plans for such a holiday, hm? ❜❜ he will be spending the day of love like he spends every other, and envy nearly wells up within him before he forces it down ⸻ just like everything else he almost feels.

༘⋆｡ where it hurts starters.

ˏˋ°•*⁀➷  Caroline  had  blown  up  ,  at  everybody  all  day  ,  and  now  ?  she  was  hugging  her  knees  on  the  ground  of  a  supply  closet  moment's  away  from  tears.  She  hated  how  heavy  her  emotions  were  since  being  turned  ,  hated  the  highs  because  they  were  always  followed  by  painful  lows. 

She'd  been  trying  to  arrange  decorations  for  yet  another  mystic  falls  event.  The  yearly  harvest  festival  was  just  around  the  corner  ,  and  she  of  course  had  attempted  to  take  on  too  much  ,  as  always.

❝  handle  WHAT  ,  everything  is  going  wrong  ❞ and  she  was  incredibly  highly  strung  ,  and  while  it  was  kind  of  Elena  to  come  in  and  check  on  her  ,  she  didn't  want  her  best  friend  to  be  the  victim  of  her  vipers  tongue  the  way  everyone  else  had  been.  Elena  of  all  people  didn't  deserve  that  ,  she  was  at  least  trying  to  help.

but  there  was  something  deeper  behind  Caroline's  outburst  ,  a  pain  that  seared  a  bottomless  ache  in  her  chest.  ❝  it  feels  like  everyone  has  forgotten  her…  ❞