Denial ✘ Stamon ✘ Defan

Part 13

The next day, Stefan and Damon joined the rest of the group once more. They had conversations spanning the majority of the night and they had both agreed on what was best. They had to leave Mystic Falls. For them, for the other's, for their relationship.

The only thing restraining them were the people who believed them brothers, the majority of the people in this town. They weren't brothers, not anymore, they had agreed on that too. That promise that declared them brother's for life had been broken with neither having blood on their hands.

A promise that bound them together had only brought them apart.

Now, with firm reassurances and a trembling fear, they faced the group. The fear, though somewhat irrational, was for good reason. Stefan and Elena were close, despite their recent breakup, and even more so was how much Elena loved Damon. Elena loved them both and them leaving, well, would only cause an unneeded shedding of tears.

'Why are we here?' Alaric sighed, leaning against the doorframe, looking ready to leave in an instant.

'We have something to tell you.' Stefan stated, a tone so hateful towards himself that Damon was tempted to drag him from the room and do it himself. But, as speeches went, Stefan was much better than Damon in the state they were in now. Damon only fought when he had to fight. He only had to tell the news when the news was important enough to tell. Now, he felt no need to tell them and would only break their hearts with his blunt, stone-cold heart.

Stefan needed to do this, no matter how much he didn't want to. 'So, tell us.' Alaric complained, peeking out the door, examining the sun in the sky, trying to determine the time.

'Bonnie still isn't here.' Damon sighed; he wished that Bonnie would show up sooner or else the whole theme of telling 'everyone' would come out a failure.

When Bonnie did turn up, another twenty minutes had passed. She came in running, panting like a rabid dog. 'Sorry, guys. I forgot.' She began to catch her breath as she flung herself on the sofa to try and calm her aching muscles.

'You forgot?' Damon sneered. 'Great excuse, Bon Bon.'

'I told you not to call me that.' She growled breathlessly.

'And I didn't listen!' He smiled, throwing his arms in the air and directing his attention towards Stefan. 'Can we get on with this now?' Stefan nodded reluctantly and faced the group, readying himself.

'We're leaving.' Stefan found there was nothing else he could say. The statement was truthful and simple, no more had to be said.

'No!' Caroline was the first to speak up, flinging herself off the sofa. 'You're not.' She ordered, her abrasive attitude coming forward.

'Well, technically, we are.' Damon sneered, folding his arms and eyeing the girl up and down, disdainfully I may add.

'Damon's right. We can't stay here any longer, we have to leave.' Stefan sighed, trying to explain in any form that didn't involve the words 'relationship' or 'escape'. The other's simply gawked at the two. They were leaving? It seemed impossible. They had been the beginning of this adventure and yet they were leaving halfway through. This was too abrupt. The boys couldn't simply just leave. But, the fact still stood, they could. Whatever preconceptions the others had about the 'brothers' were still there and the boys no longer wanted that on their shoulders.

They had restarted their lives so many times. This was just once more.

'What about my sister?' Jeremy took a step forward, coming closer to the two of them than any of the others.

'What about her?' Damon let out a humourless laugh and grimaced at the young boy.

'She won't just let you leave.' Jeremy gritted his teeth and took a step backwards, the brothers took a step back.

'And who is she to stop us?' Damon retorted, leaning forward just slightly. Jeremy took another step, his face just inches away from Damon's.

'You've broken her heart enough, do you have no remorse.' He shook his head in disbelief but took no step back. This was a matter of wills, this could change everything. But, of course, it didn't. Stefan and Damon had thought through this enough, they weren't turning back.

'We do.' Stefan intervened, pushing his brother back as if not to anger Jeremy anymore. 'She is one of the reasons we are leaving, Jeremy. We can't break her anymore. She deserved a normal life. You all ruined that so it is your price to pay.' Stefan spoke calmly yet so intensely that it sent the others reeling backwards.

'At least say goodbye. She loves you both, you can't just leave so suddenly.' Bonnie spoke from behind Jeremy, her eyes wide and pleading. No matter how angry any of them were at both Damon and Stefan, the two deserved a goodbye with Elena just as much as Elena did.

'Fine, let her out, see how well that goes.' Damon remarked sarcastically. But, it seemed, the others found truth in his words.

'We will. You can't leave without a goodbye.' Caroline looked determined, no matter how idiotic her plan was.

'You really are crazy, Blondie.' Damon looked at her as if she was mad. Elena was in no state of mind to be let out of her cell. If she was let out, chaos would ensue. Damon shot a glance at Stefan who looked just as nervous as him.

'Don't. Stefan warned, taking a step towards him but Alaric, who had lost his position at the door, placed a firm hand on his chest and held him back.

'It will be fine.' He reassured but Stefan looked down, irritated and confused.

'How can you believe that, Alaric? She just went and killed tens of people because Damon left her. Does that not show what state of mind she is in?' Stefan panicked as Alaric smiled.

'Have trust in her. She'll fight the bloodlust.' Stefan stared at him wide-eyed, looking over to Damon who was trying to move.

'Why. Can't. I. Move.' Damon gritted his teeth and sent a sharp glare at Bonnie.

'I won't let you leave without saying goodbye.' Bonnie stated, looking as fierce as Caroline.

'You're crazy.' Damon flung his arms in the air, the restraints creating a circle around him, like a box, rather than freezing his joints. 'You're all crazy. What the hell makes you think this is going to work.' Stefan and Damon's eyes met, just as confused as each other. They had to have a spell on them.

'We have faith in her.' So, they didn't have a spell on them. They simply had hope, the fools. It seemed like madness that they would go to such extremes to give this girl goodbye but they had seen how much she loved them and they knew that she would kill even more if they simply left- vanished from the world's surface.

They had to give her this. And, oh how wrong they were.

word count: 1151

published: 04.04.17