Vampire Diaries Imagines

Pushing the Limits - Stefan Salvatore

YN was the most determined person I'd ever met-and that determination had a dark side. Since the day Damon and I met her three years ago, I've seen her push herself past her limits more times than I can count. Homework, shifts at the Grill, cleaning the house-she never stopped. It didn't matter if she was sick, tired, or overwhelmed. She kept going until her body gave out.

Elena once told me it was how she'd always been, a habit drilled into her by her mother. It broke my heart to think she'd internalized that bad habit and let that bad habit control her. But it wasn't just a bad habit anymore. It was something worse.

And after her parents died a year ago, it only intensified. Moving in with Damon and me was supposed to give her a break, a place to heal, but instead, it seemed like she felt the need to prove she wasn't a burden.

I was tired of it. Tired of seeing her run herself into the ground.

When Damon and I got back to the house that night, we immediately noticed how quiet it was. Too quiet. The lights were on, but YN wasn't in the living room or upstairs in her room.

"Where is she?" Damon asked, tossing his jacket onto the couch and looking around, trying to see iif he could spot her. "It's not like her to be moving around this place like some kind of wind-up toy."

As much as I hated the way he described her antics, he was right.

I tuned in my hearing, picking up the sounds of clattering pots and pans coming from the kitchen. With a sigh, I made my way toward the noise, already knowing what I'd find.

There she was, standing by the stove, swaying slightly as she started to stir something in a pot. Her long hair was pulled back in a messy ponytail, and she was wearing one of Damon's old band T-shirts and a pair of leggings. She looked exhausted. The dark circles under her eyes were almost as prominent as the light bruises she sometimes got when she accidentally bumped into things from sheer exhaustion.

"YN," I said softly, stepping into the kitchen.

She didn't turn around, just kept working and started to make her way over to grab a spice from the cabinet. Halfway there, she stopped, placing a hand on the counter to steady herself as a wave of dizziness hit her.

That was it. I couldn't watch this anymore.

"YN," I said again, firmer this time, walking over and gently taking the spice jar from her hand. "You need to stop. You're going to pass out if you keep pushing."

"I'm fine, Stefan," she said, brushing me off as she turned back toward the stove. "Dinner's gotta get done."

"No, you're not fine," I said, stepping in front of her and gently taking her by the shoulders. "You're swaying on your feet. You've barely slept in the last few days, and you look like you're about to collapse."

"Hey," Damon's voice chimed in from the doorway. "Why don't you let me take over dinner, YNN? Go take a break. We don't need you falling into the soup."

"I'm fine," she said again, but her voice was weaker now, and I could see how much effort it took just to stand upright.

I gave her a pointed look. "You're not. And you're not going to argue with me on this one. Come on."

Her shoulders slumped in defeat as I took her hand and led her out of the kitchen. Damon shot me a quick nod, already stepping in to check the stove.

As we climbed the stairs, she muttered, "I'm sorry. I just... I wanted to do something nice for you guys."

I stopped halfway up, turning to face her. "YNN, you've done more than enough since the day you moved in. You're allowed to rest. And if you don't do it more often on your own free will, just like tonight, I won't give you much of a choice."