Twelve Days Of Smutmas - [Elijah Mikaelson One Shots] - COMPLETED

Stroke of Midnight*

"Here's your champagne," your date smiled, handing you a glass of your favorite bubbly drink.

"Thanks, Stefan," you sighed, glancing back at the door one more time, and seeing nothing but an endless sea of your coworkers dressed in their finest eveningwear.

Your hands skimmed over your black sequin gown, the material scratchy against your palms, as you wished you were ringing in the new year anywhere else.

"Hey, it's almost 2019," Stefan said, elbowing you gently with a grin. "Soon you can leave 2018 and all its heartache behind, once and for all," he encouraged, slipping his arm around your waist.

You faked a smile, his statement a not-so-subtle reference to the fact that you were still hung up on your ex, Elijah Mikaelson.

You'd been seeing your coworker, Stefan Salvatore, for a few weeks, but you told him you wanted to take things slow, half hoping for Elijah to realize he made a mistake and was lost without you.

Catching a glimpse of a dark hair in a three piece suit across the ballroom, your breath hitched, the butterflies in your chest coming to life. But upon further inspection, you realized it was just a lookalike, and you felt the shame and disappointment wash over you once more.

You quickly drank the champagne, handing the glass back to Stefan and excusing yourself to the ladies' room to pull yourself together. The heels of your black pumps hammered against the marble as you rushed over to the bathroom, taking deep breaths to calm your aching heart.

"You're better than this," you whispered to yourself in the mirror. After splashing some cold water on your face and reapplying your lipstick, you convinced yourself that tonight was the last night you were going to think about Elijah. You were beautiful, strong, and independent, and you were finally going to move on from the man who was so scared to lose you that he pushed you away first.

One more cleansing breath and you were ready to go, making your way over to the handsome man who was willing to wait for your heart to heal. As you slipped your hand inside Stefan's, you grabbed the champagne he'd refilled for you and sipped it while you watched your boss cross the stage.

"One more minute til midnight, folks," said Mayor Lockwood, as he gestured toward the clock behind him.

Stefan turned to you, his fingers grasping your chin softly as you looked up to meet his sparkling emerald eyes.

"Hey. I know you're hurting, and that takes time to get over. But I would love to be the one to help you heal," Stefan said, his warm eyes pleading.

You liked Stefan, truly. With his cubicle beside yours, he easily made the office brighter, his sense of humor and chiseled jaw making all your coworkers swoon. But you just didn't feel that spark.. that tell-tale flutter of your heart when he called your name or took your hand in his.