TVD + The Originals Imagines

Imagine #13: Stefan

Imagine staying with the Salvatore's while you try to recover from a string of particularly bad relationships

You sighed as you looked at the pile of dirty dishes crowding the kitchen. Those two had been alive for nearly two centuries and they still couldn't remember the basic chores around the house. You supposed you couldn't blame them, Ripper Stefan didn't do chores and you doubted Damon had ever lacked a compelled housekeeper before. If you were a vampire you'd do the same. It was only because of stupidly perfect Elena Gilbert that they'd decided they would pay the housekeeper and now she only came twice a week meaning the dishes piled up and someone had to do them. That someone was almost always you. You couldn't complain, after all they were letting you stay with them for as long as you needed no questions asked. Of course you'd told them why you needed somewhere to stay, your house currently occupied by a particularly brutish vampire named Jace, a result of your terrible taste in boyfriends. According to Damon judging character was your Achilles heel, a statement he'd dropped after he realized that you really didn't find it that funny. Stefan had been a far more supportive host, suggesting in his grandly humanity less state that he play pin the stake on the vampire with your latest convoluted affair. Needless to say, you breathed a sigh of relief when Stefan's humanity came back before he attempted such an act. Your boyfriend had a century on Stefan and however ruthless he may have been, he probably would've gotten lost his spleen trying. In any case, dish duty was an exponential improvement on your previous situation and you were more than happy to soak a few blood stained glasses if it meant unlimited access to Damon's finer supply of bourbon thanks to Alaric, not that Damon knew you'd gotten into that... If he found out both you and Ric would be in trouble.

You picked up a plate, wiping it over with the dish cloth. Suds of detergent spotted your arms almost to your elbows, making everything slippery and hard to hold on to. You turned to place the dish in the rack, cursing as it slipped from your fingers and crashed to the floor. It broke. You froze. You'd really done it this time. He was going to kill you. Your stupid clumsiness was going to set him off. You started to hyperventilate, trying to breathe. Bending over you clawed at the pieces of plate hopelessly, slashing open your fingers unable to grab all the shards at once.

A hand wrapped around you pulling you away from the wreckage of the plate. Your breathing hitched in your throat.

"I'm s-sorry. It was an accident, it won't happen again. I'll pay for a n-new plate. Please don't hurt me." You whimpered, clutching your eyes shut. You knew what came next. Fangs to the neck, then the wrist. A careless shove that would send you halfway across the room. If he was really angry he'd wouldn't even use his fangs, he'd use the very plate you shattered to make the incisions he needed. Feeding on you until you grew too weak to keep your eyes open.

He turned you, placing a hand on each of your shoulders. You braced yourself for a slap, a punch, a kick, whatever was coming next. His hand caressed your cheek gently, wiping away a stray tear you'd let escape.

"Hey, hey. Don't cry. It's only a dish Y/N." Stefan's voice soothed you. "It doesn't matter. You're living with us remember? Damon smashes a glass like- every day."

"But it's my fault. I b-broke it. I'm sorry, I'm so clumsy. I have to pick it up. I made a mess, I'm sorry." You blubbered, letting a few more tears free despite your attempts to stop them. At least now you'd opened your eyes, calming yourself as you held Stefan's gaze. He didn't look angry, just concerned about you not the plate. His eyes held yours, a small smile falling on his lips as he saw you calm down.

"I'm going to clean up the mess, okay? I don't want to see you cut yourself again." Stefan said softly.

You let out a soft gasp as you realized that your hands were bleeding on Stefan's shirt. Why were you so stupid? He could barely keep control without you basically holding the very source of his problem under his nose.

"I'm so sorry Stefan. I didn't realize I was bleeding, I'm so stupid. I'll go clean up." You said softly, wiping your hands on your shirt to little avail.

"Stop apologizing Y/N. You didn't do anything wrong. I'm okay see? Not a vein in sight." Stefan said with a smile, holding your hands gently out in front of you to show that the sight didn't bother him.

You sighed. "You're right, I'm sorr- umm. I'll just try to act normal-er. You shouldn't have to deal with my issues. This uh- this won't happen again. I swear."

"Y/N, listen to me. You never have to prove anything to me. You don't have to be normal, I mean look who you're talking to. I'm nearly two centuries old and I can't even control my own bloodlust. We all have issues, Y/N. You seem to forget that you got yourself out of an abusive relationship. You knew that you deserved better. It took me a century to realize that with Katherine. You have no idea how proud I am to see you working to recover from that and it's not just me, it's Damon and Caroline and God even Klaus said you were brave at one point. You are so much more than you give yourself credit for and it kills me to see you beat yourself up every time even a hint of a flaw shows through this wall you've built up but I am perfectly happy to stay with you every single day until that idiot and every painful moment that came with him seems like a distant memory because I love you and I will wait for you, no matter how long it takes."

"You love me?" You whispered trying to hide the grin that spread across your face. Stefan was one of the good ones, you trusted him. He wasn't another bad decision, loving him was the only good decision you'd made in a long time.

"I didn't mean to say that." He said cursing under his breath. Your face fell, unapologetically. Stefan frowned, grabbing your hands and pulling you back towards him. "No no no. That didn't mean that I didn't mean it. I just- I didn't know if you were ready to hear that. But it's out there now so I'll say it again. I love you Y/N, not like I thought I loved Katherine or how I pined over Elena simply because of her looks. I love you. The way your nose crinkles when you grin, the way you dance around her house when you delve into Damon's secret stash and every inhibition becomes nothing but an afterthought, the fact that you wake up early to make Damon and I a coffee just the way we like it every single day. I am in love with you and if just for a while you want me to pretend I'm not then I will but one day I'm going to win you over because right now I can't imagine what I'd do if I didn't." Stefan said, running his hands slowly up your wrists until they eventually reached your elbows, pulling you right into his chest.

You didn't know what to say. You couldn't think of words. His were so perfect, so articulate. You couldn't just say anything. Not when he'd just given you the most impossibly beautiful speech you'd ever heard. And his hands on your stupid arms wasn't making it any easier.

Stefan's smile didn't fade when you didn't reply. You could see the way he accepted that you weren't ready. He really was willing to wait forever for you and that just made you love him all the more because he didn't even try to push you. Stefan respected you in every sense of the word and that in itself filled you with a feeling that you couldn't fully describe with words.

"How about we get you cleaned up?" He said softly, turning you so that you were now closer to the tap.

"Stefan. I love you." You whispered, just loud enough for him to hear. It wasn't a grand gesture like you wished you could give him but it was enough. Those words alone were more than he ever expected to hear. You loved him.

Okay this might be one of my favorite things I've ever written so I'm posting immediately so I'm so sorry for any errors but omfg I love it so much and I so hope you guys love it as much as I did writing it oops! PLEASE LET ME KNOW WHAT YOU THOUGHT OF THIS ONE ASDFGHJL