Falling for you

A Night of Misery

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A/N: Hello everyone! Hope you are staying safe. Before you started the next chapter, I wanted to thank each and everyone of you for giving your time to this fanfic. I was so happy to see people voting...this really encouraged me to focus more on improving my writing. I took some time before posting this chapter as I didn't want to hasten and post a subpar draft. I'll be taking some time before posting the next chapter, hoping to be better and trying to do justice to all your expectations!

Please enjoy this new part, inspired by the events after Damon learns of Katherine's betrayal.

- SB (Phoneix2020)

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Disclaimer: The following characters belong to the creators of TVD. I'm only reimagining the events on the show for entertainment purposes and don't intend to make any profits from this.
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"The saddest thing is to be
a minute to someone,
when you've made them your eternity."

-Sanober Khan

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The woods are deep and dark, shielded from moonlight under the gloomy night sky. The air grows heavier with the smell of raw magic every passing second, incensed with the echoing quietude surrounding the forests. Even the faint sound of festivities, coming from the far end of the cemetery seems unable to fracture the air of despondence shared among the three souls immobilized by the turn of events tonight.

Stefan stares at his girlfriend, who keeps holding his brother in her embrace, trying to share his grief, his heartbreak after being betrayed by the only woman he has ever loved.

It is Elena's compassion that made her different than Katherine, her selflessness that made Stefan fall for her. He wonders, what if she had rejected him? What if she hadn't looked past his monstrosity and chosen his soul. Would he have ever found redemption? Or would he have chosen to lose himself in another decade of crimson abyss?

Stefan shook away the uncomfortable thoughts and thanked the Gods for leading him to Elena...the girl he would die for... his anchor amidst all the chaos, his salvation.

And that's why, his heart went out to his brother.

Stefan knew Damon never had been the perfect man. He was temperamental, manipulative and entitled. It was his own selfish reasons that affected so many innocent lives over the past century.

But how can he only blame Damon, when he himself had set him on this path? Stefan knew in his heart that if he hadn't tempted Damon into the undead life, none of these would have transpired.

Stefan had never loved Katherine so there was nothing holding him down when he turned. But Damon had stayed alive for her, he survived all odds for her...holding on to the thought of reuniting with Katherine once again. His brother loved her, and for Damon...love has never been easy.

If it was Elena, would Stefan have done any different? Who can say, what centuries of loneliness and misery, the thought of his beloved in pain would have done to all the 'goodness' in him? The ripper would have been untamable.

Stefan looks at his brother once more, standing limp in Elena's arms with a faraway look on his face.

Before all the drama with Katherine, Damon was the only person Stefan had idolized his life. He was his brother's best friend. So, despite all his hedonistic projections and casual indifference, Damon could never fool his younger brother.