roadrunnermuses | open rp } { mistletoe shenanigans!

Things have gotten a little ... complicated.

[to put it lightly. She makes her way inside, eyes wandering over the interior as she does.]

But, I thought, why not drop in on an old family friend.

[Save for a giant Christmas tree, decked out with ornaments and lights, the Salvatore Manor doesn't look much different. Stefan might've done it himself, once he realized Caroline wasn't coming back.]

Too complicated to share with said family friend? [He's teasing, just a little, as he takes the bourbon off her hands.] Or would you rather keep that off the table?

[He's got company, he's got bourbon, and well - he knows it'll come with a catch, but he can pretend otherwise long enough.]

[She gives a small shrug.]

There's a certain all-powerful super hybrid in New Orleans who probably shouldn't know that I'm alive quite yet, and Mystic Falls is the last place he would look for me.

[Then she looks up with a small smile as she hands him the bottle.]

And there's the bonus of getting to see you.

[Of all of Klaus and Rebekah's old friends, Stefan may be her favorite. Marcel did have the top spot, but ... well. He currently wants to kill her.]

Ah, killing two birds with one stone. [He returns the smile, going ahead and pouring them two glasses of bourbon.] I can't say I mind the company.

You've come at a pretty good time - Damon's busy with who-knows-what, and uh, Caroline's with Ric and the girls.

[Probably forever, from the looks of it.]

So you're all on your own?

[She raises an eyebrow at that as she goes to settle on one of the couches.]

What a sad way to spend Christmas.

Wouldn't be the first one I've spent on my own.

[It sounds pathetic, even to him, as he takes a sip of the good stuff.]

But yeah, that's how the cards fell.

It wouldn't have been my first either. Though I've become accustomed to spending it with my family.

[Which is why this particularly sucks.]

I can't imagine your family's too happy about this arrangement either.

[Klaus especially - now that's a person who would extinguish Hell's flames to keep his family safe.]

This might be a poor substitute for the real thing, but... [He brings the glasses over, handing her one.] I'm glad you came.

[She glances up with a small smile as she takes the glass from him and clinks her it against his as she does.]

I'm glad I did too. I don't have many familiar faces.

You and me both. [He pulls a leg up under him, growing comfortable enough to confess:] I might've also broken things off with Caroline this year, so.

I don't think I'm gonna be invited to Christmas for a long, long time.

[Her head tips to the side for a moment, studying his reaction curiously.]

I'd say I'm sorry, but you don't seem that sad.

Do you uh, ever get that moment when you realize that no matter how much you love someone, you'll never be in love with them?

[He peers into his glass, helping himself to another sip. A small part of Stefan will always be sad - Caroline was his best friend and well, his only friend - but he knows time would heal that particular wound.]

Hard to be sad when you know it'll be for the best.

[She takes a long sip of her drink before shaking her head.]

I can't say I've experienced that myself. I've only been in love once.

[Which probably seems strange, given that she's a thousand years old, but when you get through life sleeping a hundred years at a time and only living for a year, one love affair makes a little more sense.]

I'm glad you haven't. [He means it with all of his heart.] It never gets any easier.

[Caroline certainly hadn't been the first woman he had made that mistake with, but God, Stefan wished that she would be the last.]

Caroline uh, she took it a lot harder than I thought she would.

[She nods at that, because that's always the trick of things, isn't it? Sometimes you feel more for someone than they do for you - it's not their fault, necessarily, but it doesn't make it easier either.]

I have had a similar situation with my siblings, however. Kol and I are not as close as I would like us to be, and that's my own fault, but ... I still wish for what could have been.

Of course. He's your brother, at the end of the day. The way I see it, though, you've still got time. Once this whole thing blows over, you could build those bridges again.

[He says, without any real realization that he should do the same with his own brother. He doesn't even know where Damon is. Sure, he could track his brother's phone with GPS, but where's the fun in that?]

[She gives a small shrug.]

I suppose we could. Though I worry that he will take longer to start to rebuild than I naturally have.

[Mortal lifespan and all that - the downside to not being connected to Dahlia anymore.]

If he loves you like I think he does? [Without really thinking, he reaches out for Freya's hand and squeezes it lightly.] He'll be there for you sooner than that.

[Granted, he doesn't know Kol enough to make such an assumption, but he knows the rest of their family - and if there's one thing that unites the clan, it's their undying love for each other.]

[She glances own at his hand before back up at him, then squeezing his in return.]

Thank you, Stefan.

You're welcome.

[He doesn't let go of her hand - not yet, when it feels more natural than anything else in his life.]

Though really, I should be thanking you for dropping by.

[She doesn't mind the contact. In fact, it's been a very long time since she's had any kind of contact and coming from Stefan, it's ... nice, to say the least.]

It's my pleasure. No one should have to spend the holidays alone.

Yeah. Wouldn't exactly be a holiday if they did.

[He leans in closer, glancing up towards the mistletoe Caroline had hung all around the Manor. Granted, it had been back when they thought they were something, but now - well. There were still traditions to uphold.]

[Freya glances up when she does, and when she sees what there, she smiles. And then she's totally going to lean in and plant one on him.

Yes, he's her sister's ex and that will probably complicate things, but Freya has also been lonely longer than she'd care to admit, so why not take advantage of the opportunity while she's there.]

[As far as complications go, this was one Stefan could deal with. He grins into that kiss, gently resting his hand along the nape of her neck.

It's like she said: no one should be alone.]

[Nope. Being alone on Christmas is not a good time for anyone. She sinks into his touch, holding onto the kiss for a little while longer, before pulling back with a small smile.]

Now, that was worth the trip alone.

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stefanged - 2017-04-02 22:56 (UTC) - Expand

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deathlessness - 2017-04-07 15:02 (UTC) - Expand