The Supernatural Diaries {Book One}

Late Night Parties, Part II

Elena leaned over the railing fuming after what occurred between her and Dean. She kept trying to calm herself down, but she still couldn't get over the argument they had only moments ago. What was his problem? she thought. What was he hiding?

They never kept secrets from each other in the two and a half years that she's known him. Needless to say, Elena was now curious as to what Dean was keeping from her. She had half a mind to follow after him to see what he was up to. "Hey, Elena," a voice said, taking her out of her revelry. She turned her head to the side and saw Stefan tentatively walking towards her.

She let out an airy breath and smiled tiredly. "Hi," she exhaled, running a hand through her dark brown hair. "How much of that did you hear?" "I was actually going to ask you what you had been talking about," Stefan replied. Elena didn't know whether she was relieved or saddened that Stefan hadn't heard what went down between her and Dean.

Unbeknown to her, Stefan had heard the whole thing, but he wanted her to tell her what was going on. Laying the foundations for a relationship of any kind had to start somewhere, right? He finally made his way up to her and gestured that he was primed and willing to listen if she was willing to talk. "If it's not too forward, can I ask what you're upset about?" He asked. "Oh, uh, Dean is just acting weird," Elena brushed off flagrantly. "You know, just friends arguing from time to time. It's nothing."

Stefan furrowed his brow. "Is it?" She wavered in her cool expression, "Yes." He blinked nonchalantly. "Maybe," she corrected. Stefan gave her a knowing stare and she slumped her shoulders in defeat. "Okay, okay, so he might be lying to me about something," she admitted. The vampire's knowing look shifted into one of intrigue. "Lying to you about what?" He inquired.

"That's what I was trying to figure out," Elena explained. "His brother Sam called and got him worked up over something, and then I tried to ask him what was wrong and he shut me down." Stefan nodded his head in understanding and said, "Then you continued to ask and he blew up at you, I'm assuming?" Elena waved her hand in affirmation.

Stefan hummed to himself contemplatively. "Can I offer a piece of advice about getting Dean to open up?" Elena gave him a semi-pitiful look. "Well, when I met Dean, he was rigid, cold, and he had just lost his dad," Stefan stated. "On top of that, he always felt like it was his god-given mission to take care of his brother and look after his family." "Where exactly are you going with this?" Elena questioned.

Stefan chuckled lightly. "What I'm saying is that he's been conditioned from a very young age to be the "man of the house," so to speak, and he always thinks he has to take care of everyone every day for the rest of his life with no help from anyone," he continued. "This makes him a very responsible and dependable person. Contrarily, this also makes him more closed off to others and his emotions because he thinks it will distract him from doing what he feels has to be done to protect the people he cares about.

"My advice: try to be patient with him; he didn't have the easiest childhood and he is the most emotionally stunted person, besides my brother, I have ever met." That last comment made Elena laugh and she took what Stefan said to heart.

"Thanks, Stefan."

"Anytime," he replied. "Was there anything else about Dean that was bothering you?"

"Well, not about him, per se, but it involves him," Elena squeaked awkwardly. "But it's totally stupid and you'll probably think it's cliché." "No, no, no, tell me. I promise I won't laugh or make fun of you," Stefan smiled reassuringly. "I don't know. I mean, you're his friend and you will probably feel awkward about knowing this, and I don't want to put you in the middle of it," she blubbered.

"Elena, it's okay."

Taking a deep breath and then letting it out, Elena then told Stefan about her crush on Dean. No, crush wasn't the right word. Not anymore. He was more than that to her now. Ever since her parents died, he had been the only light at the end of a dark tunnel she never thought she would find her way out of; a tunnel she's still unsure she'll find her way out of. He was a constant source of laughter for her whenever she was having a bad day. He was that shoulder she cried on when she felt like she couldn't take it anymore.