( stefan doesn't really remember how this started. he remembers that he'd just come off a ripper binge, dejected and full of self loathing when he'd called. and maybe that's why he'd called her. maybe he'd needed someone to tell him in the bluntest words possible what he needed to hear.
and she had. and the conversation had ended but he called her again. and she'd called him. and it had kept up like that for awhile. it was always in secret and he never told anyone.
eventually, phone calls turned into meetings. coffee when they both weren't busy or even dinner on down nights. the meetings didn't happen often because things were always happening but they were there.
they only talked, never touched each other but stefan could feel a tension of a sort simmering between them. he ignored it and she ignored it but he knows it's there and he knows she knows it's there too.
he's healing from a particularly nasty incident when he calls her and gives her an address to meet him at. he doesn't know if she'll come, if she'll want to take this step, if she even cares but he does it.
and then he makes an excuse to his brother and elena that he has something to take care of and that he'll be back. they both press but he refuses to answer and just tells them to give him some time, some space.
the house is something he bought a few decades ago, tucked away in the woods and nearly invisible to anyone who wasn't looking at.
if she doesn't show up, he'll be...upset but he'll understand. he'll still take some time to enjoy the quiet. while he waits, he makes coffee as the sun starts to sink and opens the back door to the lake, sitting on the steps and trying not to be too nervous about what he's done. )
matt donovan coming up
and she had. and the conversation had ended but he called her again. and she'd called him. and it had kept up like that for awhile. it was always in secret and he never told anyone.
eventually, phone calls turned into meetings. coffee when they both weren't busy or even dinner on down nights. the meetings didn't happen often because things were always happening but they were there.
they only talked, never touched each other but stefan could feel a tension of a sort simmering between them. he ignored it and she ignored it but he knows it's there and he knows she knows it's there too.
he's healing from a particularly nasty incident when he calls her and gives her an address to meet him at. he doesn't know if she'll come, if she'll want to take this step, if she even cares but he does it.
and then he makes an excuse to his brother and elena that he has something to take care of and that he'll be back. they both press but he refuses to answer and just tells them to give him some time, some space.
the house is something he bought a few decades ago, tucked away in the woods and nearly invisible to anyone who wasn't looking at.
if she doesn't show up, he'll be...upset but he'll understand. he'll still take some time to enjoy the quiet. while he waits, he makes coffee as the sun starts to sink and opens the back door to the lake, sitting on the steps and trying not to be too nervous about what he's done. )