All I Need (Vampire Diaries/Captain America Fanfic)

43. All The Time In The World

After he left that note, I never expected to see him again. As much as I hated him for it, everything that he'd said was true. He was committed to saving the world, human life. How could he do that with a vampire by his side?

"Are you OK?" he asked softly.

I gestured to the ropes, then the stake that was still sticking out of my leg. "Do I look OK?"

"I'm sorry-" he started, before I swiftly cut him off.

"There's nothing you can say that excuses what you did," I said. "I can't believe I thought you were a good guy."

"Serena," Stefan interrupted. "We think it was Katherine."

I raised an eyebrow. "What was Katherine?" Hearing her name was strange, it reminded me once again that I felt nothing for her anymore.

Steve kneeled next to me, taking my hand. "Serena, I never would have left you of my own accord. And if I didn't want to be with you, I would have told you to your face."

"So you're blaming compulsion?" I asked.

"I'm a Supersoldier who was born in the 20's. I fight with Gods, assassins and genius billionaires. You being a vampire doesn't scare me off or make me want to run away. It only makes me love you more than I already did."

I inwardly gasped. "You love me?"

He nodded. "Do you really think I'd keep coming back here if I didn't?"

He laughed, and I laughed too, for the first time in what seemed like forever. He was right – either he was coming back to me because he loved me, or he was completely crazy!

"You can't just, come back here and profess your undying love for me and make me turn my humanity on, you know that right?" I asked.

"I know," he said.

I hesitated. "I turned it back on before you came down here," I informed him, smiling at Stefan, Damon and Klaus. "Because of you guys."

Stefan breathed a sigh of relief, mirroring my smile and cutting the ropes to set me free.

"I'll make it up to Elena," I promised him. "Whatever it takes, even if I have to spend the rest of our lives trying."

"I know," he said. "Now you have all the time in the world."

We hugged tightly, and any feelings of resentment that I had towards my brother vanished. Yes he'd made bad decisions, and yes, he'd hurt me more than anyone. But he was Stefan. He was good. And he was the person I loved most in the world, I wouldn't throw that away for anything.

"We'll be upstairs," he said, gently pushing Klaus and Damon towards the door, to give me time with Steve.

"Did Katherine really compel you?" I asked.

"I don't know," he answered. "But that's the only explanation I have. I'd never have left you if I'd had the choice."

I sniffed. "I hated you, y'know," I told him. "When you left I felt... empty."

"And then you found out about the demon," he said. "That couldn't have helped."

"You know about that?" I asked. Before turning my humanity back on, I'd thought that hearing the word 'demon' would have sent me back into a downward spiral. I remembered wanting to kill myself, wanting to regain the slightest bit of control over my life. Now I was stronger, I knew that it couldn't destroy me. I wouldn't let it.

"Caroline told me," he said. "She's the one that called me."

I smiled. "She's a good friend."

"And a good wing-woman," he said. "She called me your 'epic love'. I guess she wants us to be together?"