Time jump: 2 years later, Stefan's 18 and Damon's 24
Author's note: again, I have tried to make the dresses era appropriate 💀
Stefan's pov:
I woke up and felt great.. I have been feeling great for many days now.. My life's fine.. It's not perfect, I still have COPD, cough a lot at times but it's rare.. I still have no particular career and I'm about to graduate, I'm still a waiter, although I'm working on a book now, after elena talked to me about what I would want to do, I actually sat down and tried to write and didn't know how it became so easy and so much fun.. , but it's good enough.. I have elena, Damon and bonnie in my life and I am grateful for it.. I will be graduating soon but today, it's not about that. Today is Damon's wedding. He's marrying Bonnie. I'm so happy for them.. Bonnie has grown so much closer to me through the past years.. Even elena and her look like sisters now and team up tease Damon and I all the time.. It feels so good being this happy.. I don't feel the need to smoke at all anymore, last year once I got really bad..
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Was it really this cold today.. It was the middle of the night and elena had gone to her uncle's with her family because he was sick.. I am shivering even though I have a blanket on myself and I feel the urge to smoke because I know that would make me feel warm.. I can't.. I can't.. I can't.. I know that and I keep telling it to myself.. I feel my breath hitch.. And I start coughing.. So much mucus ugh.. I run towards the sink and my legs are shaking.. My coughs woke Damon up and he came towards me.. He rubbed mt back and it calmed me down a but but God why was I still acting like some addicted junkie.. Maybe that's what I was.. That's what I'll ever get to be.. My knees het weak and I start bringing them to my chest and I slid down to the floor.. I know I'm crying because my ribs and lungs hurt so much from coughing this much.. "D-damon.. Help.. " I choke out between the coughs.. " He took my hands in his and started trying to warm them and calm the shaking by rubbing them.. I started growing frustrated at how my body was just not in my control and not reacting the way I wanted it to.. I jerk my hands away from his and start punching the floor as if that would stop the shaking and i feel so much pain it momentarily takes my mind off everything else and my hands start bleeding.. Damon quickly stops me and wraps his hands around me as I cough uncontrollably and cry into his neck.. "You're okay.. Shh.. It's okay.. You're fine now.. I'm here.. Don't worry.. It's going to be alright.. " "No- this always happens- I'm so tired of-" I cried and was interrupted by a fit of coughs.. " You should not have to deal w-with me- i-" I started coughing and Damon ran circles on my back comfortingly, "shh.. Don't say that.. You're my brother.. I will always, always be with you.. I will help you through everything, you are not a burden to me and this does NOT bother me, believe me.. And I do need to deal with everything you deal with because this is my responsibility and I WANT to take care of you.. You're my little brother.. Calm down. It's all going to be okay.. " "I- d-dont want to be all alone again- i- I know you'll get t-tired of me.. I- P-please just- don't a-abandon me- can't deal w-with being a-alone an-" I started panting for breath and he held my teary , sweaty, yet cold face in his hands and said, " No- no- no one Is going to abandon you.. I would never leave you- I'll never get tired of you- no one will- you're not alone.. hey.. Shh.. Don't cry... It's fine.. I'm here.. I'll always be here with you.. " Shh.. He kept trying to calm me down and soothe me ... Eventually I did feel okay, he helped me to my room and put some ointment on my hands.. I felt like my finger broke but I didn't say anything about it.. He saw me wincing in pain though, there was no doctor nearby and it wasn't like Dr. Gilbert was here and we could barge in his door in the middle of the night.. After he was done he left me and I started trying to sleep but my lungs hurt so much.. The pain in my hand sure did not make it better.. I cursed myself for doing this.. But did I really have a choice? I was having a full attack.. My hands were shaking like crazy.. The physical pain numbed the mental pain for a bit.. I know it's not a healthy way of coping, but it's not like I know many ways, I just do the easiest one.. The one I've always find very conventional.. Probably because of all the 'practice' my father gave me with his punishments.. I start coughing again and my lungs feel like they're on fire.. My throat is tightening and I feel like i have run a marathon.. I walked to the kitchen to drink some water but I hit the table and hurt my knee.. I went to pick up the glass but my hands were totally useless and weren't making me able to hold anything, especially with all of the nervous shaking.. " I tried though, and my glass dropped making a lot of sound.. I hoped I hadn't woken up Damon.. I tried to clean it all up and hurt my hands, making them bleed.. Shit.. This was really not my good day, was it. Ugh.. I winced.. WHY CAN'T I DO ANYTHING RIGHT?!? I was getting really frustrated now. All of a sudden, I heard footsteps.. Shit.. Great. I woke him up and bothered him again. Why is he still with me? Why hasn't he left me yet? God.. How can he tolerate me after I bother him SO MUCH.. He comes up go me and when he sees rhe mess I have created i expect him to get angry or annoyed but.. He doesn't.. He kneels down to my level and carefully takes away my hand from the glass pieces and asks me to step carefully away from the shattered glass.. I do as he says.. My hands are such a waste and my legs feel weak.. I'm exhausted.. It was a long day today, and it is now when I realise Damon.. He must be so tired.. Why do I make it so hard from him?!? "Come here.. Did your hand slip? " He saw it in my face that I was going to lie and make an excuse.. " Don't lie- " " I.. Broke my fingers I think.." He takes a good look at my hand while cleaning up the little cuts and wounds.. "It looks like they are dislocated.. " "I'm.. I'm sorry.. " "Stef.. Don't be.. " "No- I woke you up.. I know you're tired.. " "Stef I told you. I will NEVER be tired for you. you can ALWAYS come to me. " I swallowed hard.. And tried to not let my tears fall at my own incompetency.. " Dont be like that Stefan.. I love you.. You know that. You can always rely on me.. Come here " He pulled me to his chest and kissed my forehead like he used to when we were little kids.. "Now go to sleep.. I'll take you to the doctor tomorrow.. " I nodded and started going back but I stumbled and staggered so he took my shoulder and led me to my bed.. "Good night brother.. " "Good night ..Thank you"
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I remember it was so hard to use my hands for the next week, Damon and elena helped me a lot.. My lungs were a little congested but it was all fine after some days.. I woke up and started wearing my best clothes for today. I want to look good. I am the best man, and since Bonnie doesn't have a sister , she wanted to have elena as her maid of honour. Elena's family is coming to the wedding too.. Actually, her family is so sweet and so accepting and loving , they always have been helpful and kind to us, that we feel a familial bond with them. They have helped us through all tough times, her mother calls me son.. I want to call her mom too.. Like she suggested.. I'm kind of scared about it though.. As I wear my suit I have trouble tying the tie, as usual. I go to Damon for some help and see him all dressed up practicing something , looking in the mirror.. His vows.. He looks so nervous, it's actually Really cute.. He saw me in the mirror.. "Hey.. Do I look fine?? " He asked me anxiously. " You look great.. " I said with a warm smile.. "You look great too, where's your tie? " Then as he saw something it's as if he remembered I can't tie my ties.. "Oh- come here" He starts tying my tie and be notices I'm taller than him and grunts humorously, "god, when did you get so big?! " I chuckled. "What time is it?" He looks at his watch as I aks the question and he furrows his eyebrows a bit. "Shit we're late! " He took my hand and we hurried to the church. I had to go pick elena so I parted ways with Damon midway. I knocked on her door and she opened it.. God- I have never seen someone prettier.. She was wearing a light pink gown, with golden details that was touching the floor, it was a neck deep enough to show off her beautiful neck and collar bones, she was wearing the necklace I had given her on her birthday.. She had her hair down.. Her beautiful brown hair making her chocolate brown eyes pop.. She looks so beautiful.. "What? " She smiled shyly.. Oh I didn't even notice I was staring, "nothing- you just look.. Exquisite-" "You look pretty dashing too, you had to, after all you are my date, got to look good. " She said proudly and I chuckled softly as we left.. Things have changed so much.. We started dating after she saved my life when I tried to kill myself.. That was selfish of me.. I thought there was no one who would care, or miss me, but there were people, elena, Damon, even the gilberts, even nate .. Martha.. I keep meeting her sometimes, she loves in a nice small house and is quite old now but still scolds me like she used to.. I love her so much. I actually miss her a bit and tears come to my eyes when I think about this.. I blink them away. We reach the church and the ceremony is about to start.. Damon's standing there nervously and it's time for elena and I to walk down the aisle, then comes bonnie , in a beautiful wedding dress, with her father.. Damon was in tears.. They said their vows, it was l so incredibly beautiful. I'm so happy for them. It was a heart warming ceremony and after Damon and bonnie had their first dance , I asked elena for a dance too, she was beyond excited, I was equally as excited, if not more. We danced for I don't even know how long, her hand on my shoulder and mine on her waist, her head on my chest as we danced.. "I hope we have something like this one day.. " I say, "we will.. I know , for sure, but we'll probably have daisies instead of roses, won't we? " I giggled when i heard that, "I am so in love with you elena gilbert.. " "So am I stefan Salvatore.. " We kissed.. Her mouth melted into mine as if it was made for me and me only, as if we were meant to be.. I love her so much, It actually consumes me and I'm not mad because it's the best feeling in the world.. She makes me a better person, happier, full of life, she gives me contentment, peace.. I want to be with her forever, whatever our forever is. This was the most magical day I have had. Full of love and happiness..
Author's note: oh my god only the epilogue left now 🥺 this chapter is basically based on happy stuff (minus the flashback lmao) because I wanted to end it on a good note. I'll post the last chapter I. E. Epilogue soon, it might be shorter than the chapters I write, because like it's basically a summing up of their life and how it all went on. I hope y'all liked this chapter and the story. Have a great great day, stay safe, love you and thank you 🥺❤❤💖
