Same here.  Maybe too much.  More than I expected.  And it goes without saying that Stefan (a deep part of him) ships them too.  But poor fool.  Thank you for roleplaying with me and giving me all these feelings.  

She doesn't look satisfied with his answer.  And honestly, he isn't either.  That part of him (the goody-good Stefan the ripper despises so much) screams within, urging Stefan to assure her what he--her Stefan--feels.  What he should say.  Yet these words do not tumble out as they should.  Instead, they're stuck inside his mind, echoing darkly what he refuses to tell her.  

             IloveyouIloveyouIloveyouIloveyouIloveyouIloveyou

He takes a deep breath, unneeded though it seems to soothe the strange anxiety. It will be fine.  That's what he'd tell himself before.  The ripper seldom fell into the easy traps of emotional and heavy burdens such as these.  And here he is, using all his energy on not showing any sign of trouble.  

His first instinct is to lighten the air, something to wave away everything that hangs between them.  And more than anything, he'd love to brush away the look on her face, tell her it's not just he doesn't hate her--it's that--yeah, okay, maybe--he does love her.  

Those words slip to the tip of his tongue as he stares down at her.  She glances down and he knows that look so very well.  His chest tightens again and he suddenly it's become really hard to speak.  Yet he parts his lips anyway and draws in a quick breath.

But he's too late.  

She speaks and he quiets himself instantly.  That restriction in his chest only worsens the moment he hears her voice and what she has to say to him.  As if everything just comes to a screeching halt and Stefan isn't sure what to do besides shrug and tell her a simple Okay.  

But he doesn't want to say, "Okay."  He doesn't want to say anything at all, in fact.  As irritatingly childish it is, Stefan just wants to be with her despite everything.  Things were fine when he trying to cover up the monster, when he could just hide away his feelings and smile meaningfully at her.  The ripper doesn't seem to have that luxury.  And Stefan had been fine with that up until now.  Because it feels like she's saying goodbye instead.  

He wishes she knew.  

With a panic simmering inside, he tries salvaging whatever he can and tries to offer whatever he has.  Little he holds in his hands to give but he's nearly desperate now.  Thoughts race through his mind faster than before in a jumbled mess and he's so unsure what to do.

So he reaches out, touches her wrist.  A simple brush but it makes him withdraw with a faster force.  Clenching his fists at his sides, Stefan swallows, uncertain how to voice his thoughts or even excuse himself for what he just did.  The impulsiveness of his decision startles even Stefan.

"--Elena..."

I don't want to talk soon.  I don't want to talk at all.  Just stay.  I'm sorry.  Okay? Okay.  

"Sorry..." he mumbles quietly, eyes still on her.  

Words are wanting to fall out and the more he stares at her, the more he's about ready to.  So he goes with the most simple approach he knows.  

"He loves you."

Okay.  That was not the most simple approach.  And now he's really panicking inside because that is definitely not what he wants to say.  The Other Stefan is someone he's never wanted to bring up.  The better one.  The adored one.  Stefan knows she could take it so many ways especially since he used present tense but he's not sure how to glaze that one over now.  

Use it for one of your Bamon threads at the right time.-nudge nudge wink -

OMG. You did not just go there. 

Elena Gilbert:  willalwaysbeagilbertx | Hayden Panettiere

Damon Salvatore:  thedamonicsalvatore | Ian Somerhalder

Klaus:  deathcanevertouchme | Joseph Morgan

Madeline Salvatore:  thelasthumansalvatore | Minka Kelly

Caroline Forbes:  carolinewolfgirlforbes | Phoebe Tonkin

Katherine Pierce:  xkaterinavonpetrovax | Candice Accola

Elijah Mikaelson:  morally-mikaelson | Daniel Gillies 

Bonnie Mccullough |  thebonniemccullough | Holland Roden

Meredith Sulez |  thebonniemccullough *duel blog |  Odette Yustman-Annable

// I have been trying for the longest and failed each time.