34

                                    

                                          
25th August 2010 
                          
She couldn't take his eyes off of him, sitting there as still as death itself his eyes were boring into the thin air before him.  There was nothing there yet onwards he looked.  What she didn't realise is he was too far gone in his thoughts to realise what he was looking wasn't there - his preoccupied mind was flood with her.  His concerns, his worries - all of it weighed down on him and yet he could feel her standing behind him, but he couldn't make himself turn to face her.
                          
She had her own torrent of emotions to battle, but the unexplainable magnetism between them dragged one foot in front of the other until she was sat besides him.
                          
Words couldn't bridge the gap, but she had no words left to say. They day had shook her, left her entirely off balance. Relenting from the pressure she tilted to her side, resting her head on his shoulder and sighing. 
                          
Any anger she believed to still harbour against him didn't rise to the surface, instead it rolled out form her for she was too exhausted to give even entertain such draining and hateful emotions. However, her mind rolled from numbness and indifference back to the burgeoning flame when he slung his arm around her, drawing her closer. His stiff posture loosed as he soften to her, his eyes drawing away from emptiness to that which he now held.  Not moment before he hadn't been able to turn to face her yet now looking down upon her all the thoughts and fears seemed pointless.
                          
They sat there in the mutual comfort of the silence.
                          
It made her feel safe to know that despite everything, his presence was still warm and secure.  That in his arms she felt anchored. Regardless of what had come to pass between the two of them, she still felt stilled. Her anger and emotions had been riding her in recent days and the trauma of him had left her shaken. Sitting like this brought her back to more simpler days where promises were exchanged and she felt protected by his word. 
                          
She was so lost in seeking comfort , leaning into his apparent warmth that she was ignorant of the world around her.
                          
It made sense then that she didn't notice Stefan slip out the room.
                          
Nik probably should of realised - somewhere in the back of his mind he registered the door opening and closing and there being one less person in the room.  His attention though had entirely been focused on only one person. 
                          
***
                          
Stefan once thought he was not one to pace. He was wrong. 
                          
Up and down he walked, a neurotic pattern on the pavement, counting his steps to avoid other thoughts. 
                          
He was dragged away from his counting, however, by the presence of his ever looming shadow. A shadow that should have been long gone by now.
                          
"What are you doing here?"
                          
"Ahh brother." Damon smiled, it was a grim look - forced and unappealing. "Fancy seeing you here."
                          
"Here, one of the many places you are not supposed to be!"
                          
"Are you not happy to see me?" 
                          
Stefan didn't even entertain him with an answer, his eyes simply narrowed and brow creased. His fuse was exceedingly short today.
                          
"I will take that as a yes. Really brother you should be thanking me, shouldn't you be free by now?"
                          
"Free, what are you talking about. Brother, what are you planning?"
                          
"I think the question is what have I done brother, past tense - get with the programme and all that."
                          
"Damon!" Stefan snapped, he didn't have time for his brother's mind games.