Tangled Fate

The Descent

March 31, 2010

Elena stepped quietly into Stefan's bedroom, her fingers nervously smoothing down the front of her dark-wash denim jeans. She wore a slim-fitting cornflower blue henley, the delicate white lace trim of her camisole peeking through the single opened button at her collar.

A heavy, uneasy silence filled the space. "Stefan?" she called out softly, looking around the empty room. "Stefan?"

A sudden, slight gust of air blew against the back of her neck. A familiar, warmth bloomed right behind her, and she immediately knew where he was without having to look.

"You're handing right behind me, aren't you?" Elena asked, a small smile tugging at her lips.

"Yep." Stefan murmured, his voice low and teasing.

Elena rolled her eyes playfully, turning around without a second of hesitation to throw her arms around him. She kissed him deeply, and she could feel the tension melting out of his shoulders a he smiled against her lips. The sheer joy of being able to touch him freely again—without the suffocating weight of threats or distances keeping them apart—made her revel in their embrace. She pulled back for a fraction of a second, letting out a soft, contented exhale.

Then, she leaned back in, standing on her tiptoes to redouble her efforts. She wrapped her arms around his neck, pushing herself deeper into the kiss. When Stefan let out a low, breathless moan into her mouth, she pressed her body firmly against his bare chest. Finally, she pulled away just enough to look at him, a wide, radiant smile breaking across her face. Oh, how she'd missed this.

"Good morning." Stefan said, his green eyes dark with affection.

"I don't want us to be apart anymore. Ever." Elena whispered earnestly, her hands resting against his skin.

"Me neither, but..." Stefan started, his tone shifting into something a little more serious.

"Don't ruin the moment." Elena cut him off gently.

She stood back up on her tiptoes, eager to drown out the rest of the world. She wrapped her arms around his neck once more, kissing him with a renewed intensity that made his breath catch. She pressed herself flush against his bare chest, her heart hammering against his ribs before she reluctantly pulled away, her smile still wide.

Elena licked her lips, her body entirely aroused by his closeness. She wanted nothing more than to waste the entire morning away in that bed, wanting to show him through her touch exactly how much she had missed him during the gruelling days they were apart. She slid her hands down his torso, the feel of his firm muscles beneath her palms making it nearly impossible to listen to reason. She knew he was right—they had incredibly important things to discuss—but with the bed sitting right behind them, she desperately wanted to ignore reality for just a little longer.

Elena let one of her hands slip lower, her fingers grazing his waistband. Stefan's eyes closely instantly, his jaw clenching as a deep, helpless groan ripped from his throat.

Katherine's locked away in the tomb." Elena reasoned softly, trying to coax him back into the haze.

"I know." Stefan panted, forcing his eyes open as he gently caught her wrists to stop her hands. "I know, but we still have this pressing little issue of you being Klaus's human sacrifice."

The reminded acted like a splash of cold water. Elena sighed, stepping back toward his dresser. She opened on of Stefan's drawers, her fingers wrapping around a small glass vial of liquid vervain. She popped the top off, the bitter scent immediately filling the air.

"Yes, but Elijah promised to keep me and everyone else safe." Elena argued, trying to sound confident. "As long as we play by his rules."

"Right. As long as you play by his rules." Stefan countered, his arms crossing over his chest as he watched her.