Barely A Memory

Chapter 5

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"I'll be with you... forever," Her voice was soft, and her hand rested on his shoulder like it was meant to be there, with just enough pressure to remind him that she was real, that this moment was just as tangible as the lapis lazuli ring he was twisting in his hand. He couldn't stop himself from thinking that she was perfect. Alright, maybe she was far from perfect, but she was perfect for him. With her, while she was looking at him with those eyes and making his heart jump with every word... forever wasn't long enough. And then, her lips curled up into a little smirk when she added, "if I want," as if she had other plans. But he knew otherwise. He knew where her future rested just as well as she did.

And then, she leaned forward and kissed him. Or maybe he kissed her. They'd done it a thousand times, and yet, every single kiss was different. He could practically taste the love on her mouth, feel the compassion in her touch. It was not too long, or too short, but the numbness lingered on his lips long after she pulled away.

She absently licked her lips."We're going to get through this, just like we get through everything." He gazed at her as she stared off at the front yard of the Salvatore mansion. The view from the roof was nothing special really, but next to her, it was. "One day at a time."

One day at a time. That sounded like a plan.

"We should get inside before sunrise," she sighed.

Before the frown could settle into her face, he opened his palm, never tearing his gaze away from hers. "Bonnie made this for you yesterday," he began, a grin pulling his lips up when the pleasant shock registered in her face. He offered it to her, feeling his heart race a little more. Nothing made him happier than to bring her joy. Nothing. "Just in case."

"Daylight ring?" she asked, her voice replete with wonder and surprise.

With a little nod, he gently raised her hand up and placed the blue gem on her finger. He couldn't help but feel a bit giddy as he did this... how ridiculous was that? After all of these years he could still get giddy. As the ring slid onto her finger, he wondered what it would look like if it had been a diamond instead; what would the expression on her face be then?

"One day at a time, right?" he repeated.

She kissed him again.

He closed his eyes and swore to himself that he would never forget this moment.

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Stefan winced when the light shone into his eyes, snapping him out of the dream. With a groan, he lifted his arms to cover the brightness. "What the—"

"Rise and shine, Steffy!" Damon's voice was loud and obnoxious. "It's been a few days since you decided to drop back on earth, and you're going to school today."

The younger Salvatore rolled onto his back and stared at the ceiling, trying to analyze the lucid dream he had just experienced. His heart was still racing! He was filled with this strange sense of euphoria that shook him to the bone in the best of ways. The girl... In that dream, she had been the core of his existence, the purpose to his every breath, and for those first moments as he woke, every movement he made seemed to have meaning. He tried to remember her face and voice, but when he did, he came up blank. All he knew was that her voice sounded something like a symphony and her eyes contained a world of their own. But he could not visualize her.

"Hello? Please don't be one of those pain-in-the-ass teenage brothers who needs to be dragged out of bed. Because I will do it," Damon teased, that ever present smirk glued to his face. Stefan blinked. "Damon," he muttered dazedly, having completely forgotten that his brother was there. "School?"