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Stefan is used to pain, but when he stares at you from across the room, it feels like someone has kicked him in the stomach.
Klaus´ arm is resting around your shoulders, and you're leaning back into him, the leather of one of the booths in the back of the grill supporting you. This image alone breaks Stefan´s heart into pieces. He would love nothing more than to replace Klaus spot next to you. Or punch him in the face. Preferably both.
If he only had been brave enough to tell you how he feels. Maybe, just maybe, he could be where Klaus is. He could wrap his arms around you and steal kiss after kiss, get lost in your eyes and memorize every detail of your face.
Just thinking about it sets his skin on fire.
There were several occasions where he was so close to confessing his love for you, but the moment always seemed to pass before he could find right words and he ended up saying nothing at all. And he regrets it, oh how terribly he regrets his cowardness time and time again.
The sound of your laughter halls through the room and Stefan snaps back into reality, still standing there in the doorway, watching how Klaus whispers something into your ear. You promptly laugh again, even louder this time.
It's the same laughter Stefan himself would cause whenever he told a bad joke just to hear you laugh. And how he loves your laugh. But regardless how many times he made you laugh himself, how many times you would stay up all night watching the nightsky or late night movies or how many times you would confess your deepest darkest secrets to each other, he will never take Klaus´place. He knows that your heart belongs to Klaus. As does his to you.
And if you´re happy Stefan should be happy too, right? He's not. But he has to at least try. He takes a deep breath and moves from the spot he has occupied for quite a long time and walks over to the booth.
“Stefan! How good of you to join us!!” Klaus says as Stefan approaches the table.
“There you are!” You jump up from the booth wrapping your arms around him.“I thought you wouldn't show up.”
Almost didn´t
“Sorry. I, uh, I got held up” He says and takes a seat on the opposite bench, nervously clicking his daylight ring on the table.
“You okay?” You ask him. You thought he looked a bit shaken up.
No.
“Sure.” he says sits down and grabs the Grill's Menu from the holder “So, what are we drinking? I´m too sober for this music.”
“Now that's the spirit!” Klaus gives him a clap on the shoulder, happily agreeing to some day drinking.
Stefan fakes a smile and looks over the drinks menu he knew like the back of his hand. He looks up once and being this close to you and his old friend only intensifies the gut-wrenching feeling of jealousy and sadness.
But Stefan knows if he wants to have you in his life he will have to endure it. For your friendship´s sake. Even if it kills him.
Then again, Stefan is used to pain. What's a little more?