Waking Up In Vegas

Chapter 31

Elena's P.O.V.

I'm nervous and anxious as I slip into this cream colored dress that I brought with me. I feel completely over dressed for lunch with my parents and I honestly have no idea why I'm even wearing this. But, I figured that these last few days, I've been walking around in jeans, sweatpants and plain t-shirts and I'm getting sick of it. So, why not dress it up and hope that this lunch will go smoothly and not turn into a huge train wreck like dinner with Stefan and my parents did the other night.

I'm half way into putting on my makeup when I look up and see Stefan leaning against the doorframe, this huge grin on his face as he walks into the room, closing the door behind him.

"Hey beautiful." He says, walking over to me, watching as I swing my legs around from sitting in the chair in front of the vanity mirror in the room, my makeup scattered all over the place.

"Hey..So how was the trip? I see you've come back alive..Which is a good sign." I say, watching as Stefan smiles at me and laughs a bit, sitting across from me on the bed.

"It went good. I had a really nice talk with your dad and I think he actually likes me." Stefan says, raising his eyebrows at me.

"Oh, really? Good...because I wanted him too..See..No worries. Oh and my mom actually kind of likes you too. We had a good time today." I comment, watching as Stefan smiles and shakes his head, nervously putting his hands into fists as I lean over and place my hand on to his, smiling up at him and trying to figure out why he's so nervous all of a sudden.

"What's wrong..You seem nervous." I say, hearing when he clears his throat, patting the seat next to him. "I..I wanted to ask you something and I know that you'll think I'm crazy. But, I just want you to hear me out." Stefan says, eyeing me up and down as I sit next to him, holding out my hand, just when he lays it flatly onto his own, my left hand under his touch.

"I love you, Elena and I know that you said you wanted to wait for marriage and we can..We totally can. But, there's something that your dad told me today that made me realize that I don't want to be without you. I don't want to wake up without you or ever be away from you. You're my best friend and we've been through so much together. I guess, all of it has lead us to each other in a way. So.." He says, his voice trailing off as my eyes start to get watery and I clear my throat to look at him, taking my gaze off of our hands.

"I love you, too. I'm just scared, Stefan...I know that you love me and that we're good together. But, I don't want to have any regrets..That's why I didn't want to say yes to being married to you in Paris. I don't want to mess us up because of being insecure about myself." I tell him, watching as he nods and exhales. But, my hands find his face quickly and my throat tightens as I continue to explain my thoughts.

"It doesn't mean that I haven't thought about it..about our future together. Because, I have and all I see is the two of us being happy with each other. I mean, if-" I start to say. But, I'm cut off when I see Stefan's hands slip into the pocket of his jeans and he pulls out the same diamond ring that he had tried to give me in Paris, just two months earlier.

"We don't need to get married in a year..We can extended our engagement for as long as you feel comfortable too. But, I want to call you my fiancé and I want to spend the rest of my life getting to know you, seeing your smile and just being with you. I love you, Elena Gilbert and you have changed me into someone that I love being. I'm not that guy in the tabloids anymore and it's all because of you." He says, wiping the few tears that are now spilling over on my cheeks as I smile sweetly at him and nod.

"I take it that you asked my dad about this. That's why you agreed to go on that fishing trip with them..So that you could ask him for my hand in marriage..God, you're so old fashioned!" I laugh with a roll of my eyes, lightly pushing against his shoulder as Stefan laughs a bit.

"You figured it out! Ha, yeah..I did and he was surprisingly okay with it. He actually just told everyone outside about what I've been planning...They're kind of waiting for us to tell them the news..You know, no pressure or anything." Stefan says, his smile lingering as he places his hand onto my cheek and caresses it lightly.

"Oh and did you know that Bonnie and Jeremy are engaged too? Maybe you'll both be able shop for wedding dresses." Stefan points out, looking around the room as I smile at him, eyes locked on the ring in his hands when I clear my throat.

"Um..." I say, raising my eyebrows at him as he laughs a bit and looks down at his hands, his hands tightly gripping the ring when he looks at me and nods. "Oh yeah..Anyways, What was I saying?" He asks.

I laugh at his words, shrugging my shoulders back and placing my hands against his as I speak in a soft tone and watch him grip onto my hands firmly. "You were saying that you love me and that you want to spend the rest of your life with me..That you would wait until I was comfortable about it to get married. But, that you can't picture your life without me in it..either way. And, I was about to say..Yes." I state, hearing as Stefan laughs and then turns towards me, pushing himself off the bed, about to bend down on one knee but stopping at my words as he gives me a stunned facial expression.

"Wait...Are you sure? You're not teasing me again or something..right?" He asks, a grin on his face, starting to sit back down onto the bed to steady himself as I laugh and get up, pulling him into my arms, wrapping my arms around him tightly as I speak.

"No. I'm not teasing you this time..This time I mean it, because you've out done yourself with asking my dad and honestly the more time I spend you with, the more time I can see it too..We would be good together in the long run. You and I. Because, I can't live without you either. You've made me realize that I can be happy and that you've accepted me fully. I love you, Stefan and I want to be with you. So, my answer is yes..I will marry you and eventually I'll be your wife too..This time for real." I tell him, leaning against his ear and feeling when he wraps his arms around me, lifting me up and spinning me around the small space as he laughs and says "I guess third time's a charm, isn't it?"

"Yes it is..Now, Mr. Salvatore..I think we'll have a wedding to plan soon." I say, giggling when Stefan lays me down on the bed, hovering over me as he says "You'll look amazing in a wedding dress...Maybe we could even go back to Las Vegas and get married there." Stefan says, raising his eyebrows at me as I laugh and smack him on the shoulder. "How romantic...The place where we first met and where our romance all began."

-THE END-