The Bourbon Diaries ✢ The Vampire Diaries FanFiction ✢ TVD FanFic ✢ TVDU FanFic

Chapter Fourteen - Adam Vaziri

Three and a half years ago

Mystic Falls, VA

New Year's Eve, 11:50pm

"Maybe she already left?" Adam suggested, switching on the lamp and noticing the discarded hospital gown.

Raid knocked on the door to the private bathroom. No reply. He entered. No Stef. "Damon wouldn't leave with Phoenix and not leave Stef here under Elena's care," Raid replied. "She'll be back." He closed the door, walked over to the bed, and took a seat in the high back chair next to her bed.

Adam pulled back the drapes. "Ten minutes until fireworks. Might as well make the most of it."

Raid propped his elbow on the arm of the chair, his chin resting against his knuckles, nodding slowly and wearily. "You think Stef's going to care about fireworks?"

Sitting down on a chair between the bathroom and a single beech closet, Adam took in the clinical surroundings and realized that maybe Raid was right. Staring at distant fireworks from the window of a hospital room when they were supposed to be at her boyfriend's party wasn't going to be the best mood-booster. "I guess not. I just feel bad for her. I messaged Cristian four times that Stef is in the hospital. You know what he finally replied? 'Damn, okay.' 'Damn, okay', Raid! That's it! I didn't tell him she had fucking gum disease---I told him she almost died in a fire! That's all he has to say about it? She's going to be crushed, isn't she?"

Raid chuckled. "Fuck, no, she was going to break up with him tonight." He looked pleased at the reminder, sporting a dreamy grin that he often wore when he spoke about Stef, but this time it appeared a little more smug and a lot more hopeful.

Letting out a gush of air from between his lips in relief, Adam relaxed. "Finally!"

Neither Raid nor Adam had ever liked Cristian. They tolerated him because he was Stef's boyfriend, but that's as far as it went. Their distrust of him started during their final year Back to School Party in the woods when they both spent the evening watching Stef as Cristian forced drink after drink upon her. At her first drunken stumble, the cousins had rushed to Stef's aid, which---to their relief---she accepted, telling Cristian to get her some water and an aspirin. Except Raid had never been watching Stef: he'd been watching Cristian. Which he continued doing. He watched him get the water. He watched him pay a friend for an 'aspirin'. He watched him drop it into her drink. He watched him collapse to the floor with a bloody nose---after punching him. Then so began the secret, bitter rivalry between Raid and Cristian.

Stef had unfortunately believed Cristian's story that it was a dispersible aspirin. Why wouldn't she when he was the injured party? But the Vaziris knew better; Cristian's friend was the local dealer and one aspirin didn't cost $20. After that, Raid became obsessed about Stef's safety around Cristian, and he followed them around, invited or not. It was the start of Adam realizing that his cousin had it bad for her. Maybe he would finally hear his confession.

"She's way too good for him," Raid added. "Cristian's an inconsiderate, slimy asshole, and she's a kind, amazing, ray of sunshine who deserves someone better."

A slight thump vibrated up the wall of the closet, causing Adam to straighten. He hadn't knocked it, he was sure of that. Maybe the noise had come from the wall behind? No, not possible; that wall led to the empty bathroom. Suddenly another potential source for the noise came to mind, but it seemed ridiculous. Then, after giving the size of the closet a glance over, Adam decided it was not only possible, it was extremely likely. The corners of his mouth twitched into a barely concealed grin as he looked back at Raid. This was going to be fun. "Who do you think Stef deserves?" he asked him. "Someone more like you?"