Archive of Our Own

Chapter Text

Chicago 1920…

Stefan’s never felt so humiliated, so angry, so sad, so… broken.
He didn’t know, or better, he did know how all happened, but he didn’t know how him could let all this happen. He was a vampire, he lived longer than all of his friends, he lived in other ages, he should have been wiser, smarter but know he was sure that, not matter how many times he would have been disappointed, hurt, disillusioned, he would have repeated everything over and over again, only because of Klaus.
Klaus Mikaelson was Stefan’s worst weakness. He’s always been, he always would be.
Even now that he could feel his memories taken aways from him by the man he learnt to love with all himself, despite it happen in that period made only of darkness, blood and violence, he knew that he will continue to love Klaus anyway, because a part of him would never forget anything. A part of him would remember the original’s face forever, he would remember their firs meeting, when he couldn’t stand the other’s presence after Klaus rude comment about his hair, when the only way they communicated was through sarcastic comments, poisoned words and false words of reverence which hided the mutual distaste. But now that Stefan was trying to grab all that memories and lock them up in his a deep part of his mind, he understood that he has loved Klaus since the beginning even if he didn’t want to admit.
He loved him while he was dancing with Rebecca and he couldn’t stop himself staring at the hybrid, wondering about his lips and about how much wonderful would be kissing his lips, touching his body, moaning under him… but he repressed his forbidden desire and continued to pretended not to feel at all. But at some point, pretending became useless, especially with someone so perceptive like the original Hybrid, especially after that night when, after they made a photo together and Stefan convinced Klaus to go home with him, he revealed to Klaus his darkest secret, the list, his list, with all his victims’ name on it.

…

“You’re family only envy you, they want you dead because they can’t be unique and special like you. Because no one of them will be just like you” said Stefan.

“Like what ? An abomination ?” asked Klaus avoiding the other’s gaze.

“No, not at all” said Stefan placing an hand on other’s arm “A King”.

Then Klaus looked Stefan in a strange way, almost like he was truly seeing the other vampire for the first time since they met, and Klaus felt his heart melted under the adoration, the loyalty and respect of Stefan’s beautiful eyes. In that moment, Klaus thought that no one had looked him in that way for a long time and he felt so strange.
How could be that a normal infant vampire, not particularly strong, was capable of making him feel unexplainable feelings that he’s never felt in his life before. What could it be ? Affection ? Respect ?Friendship ? Love ?
Klaus always thought he didn’t need anyone to be okay with his life, it was a way to protect himself from useless disappointing relations with other people. Everyone who he met in his life, abandoned or disappointed him inevitably. His mother, his father, his brothers… Aurora… Katherine… everyone, who he had loved, brake his heart. And now ? Stefan Salvatore was an insignificant vampire, but he was also so magnificent. He was a ripper, he taught him new tricks and tortures and he didn’t think he was an abomination. Stefan was… special, different from anyone else and sometimes Klaus was afraid of him. Not because as Stefan was a treat, he could easily defeat him, but he was afraid of what Stefan could have became for him.
Would he survived if Stefan brake his heart like everyone else ? Would he put it up with it ? Would he heal this time ?
At some point a guy with a camera came near them and Stefan asked him to make a photo to him and his brother.
Brother.. that word made Klaus’ heart lost a beat. No one, except Rebekah, had considered him like a brother. Elijah abandoned him, Finn despised his vampire nature and, for consequences, he despised him, Kol… well, Klaus daggered him so their relationship wasn’t at it’s best either. And when they found out that Klaus was the result of an adultery of his mother with an another man, something inside of his family brake down forever. No matter how many time Rebekah and Elijah swore to him “Always and forever” , they always ended up. tearing other down. This is what he’s always done, destroying everything and everyone around him.
But now, while Klaus was smiling at Stefan’s side, he thought how could he been capable of hurting him ? The first guy from ever who saw him like a king. the guy who showed him true affection.
Stefan, on the other hand, was surprised himself for his audacity. He didn’t think he would have the courage to surround Klaus’s neck, since Klaus’s always seemed to him something too much precious to be touched by him, but he didn’t regretted anyway. He was happy when he was with Klaus, happy for the first time in ages. Klaus made him feel happy, and he hoped that Klaus cared about him, even if it was almost impossible. Klaus was stronger than him, more powerful than him, more beautiful than him, Klaus was simply more, to much for him. He was also cruel and heartless, according to Rebekah, and even if he had decide to give his heart to someone, Stefan was sure he wouldn’t have been the lucky one.
But now he was sure that Klaus considered him as a brother, and for now it was enough. Maybe even enough to share his darkest secret with him. His victims’ list, their name, how he killed them, a mark for every human life taken by the Ripper of Monterey. Would Klaus be proud of him ? Impressioned ? Pleased ?
He hoped, because that list was a secret part of his life, a secret he swore himself never tell anyone about. But Klaus wasn’t anyone, he was his friend, his confident, his brother. He could trust him, he knew it.

“Would you come home with me ? I wanna show you something funny” Stefan proposed after drinking another glass of whiskey.

“Why not ? Maybe we can also entertain us along the way. I’m tired of drinking and I wouldn’t mind to eat something” answered Klaus with his famous evil smirk on his lips.

“Yeah, it will be a great opportunity to add a name” said Stefan while the two of them were leaving.

Klaus didn’t understand the true meaning of Stefan’s last sentence, but he supposed that whatever it was, probably regarded the funny thing his friend wanted him to see. Klaus propbably would never admitted but he was curious and intrigued by the mystery that was Stefan Salvatore, the Ripper of Monterrey, his partner in crime, best friend, in someway brother, and also… something else that he could still not completely understand. He had been being so emotionless, cold and indifferent toward the other people and creatures, since his father has attacked him in New Orleans, banished him and his family from the city that they built up, a city where he loved and he was loved, in some ways, and where he was a King.
But now ? He only felt like a monster.
He looked at Stefan sidelong and he wondered what kind of secret the young man next to him was still hidden from him. What kind of secret could it possible be ? Klaus always though he could finding out other’s secret just by looking them in the eye, but Stefan’s mind was a maze for him. Every single time Klaus thought he had understood the other vampire, Stefan always found a way to surprise him again.
Stefan, on the other hand, he was feeling insecure about himself. What if Klaus laughed of his secret ? What if the hybrid found sentimental and stupid his necessity to remember every single detail of his murders ?
They arrived at his apartment, where Stefan offered Klaus a drink and waited a little. Klaus commented his apartment, saying that he needed someone with better tastes in furniture and designs. <<

“You’re right but… I hope you’ll appreciate this part of my apartment" said Stefan moving the shelf until he revealed a secret room and then he signed to him to enter. Klaus came closer, curious to find out his friend’s secret.

“I hope your secret will surprise me, love. I wouldn’t have walked all that way for nothing” Klaus said while he was entering in the dark tiny room.

Stefan said nothing, just waited for Klaus to enter inside the dark room and read the various name of his victims. When Klaus entered in the room and he saw the list, he remained wordless. He didn’t aspect any of this. When his friend talked to him about a secret to share, he thought about a secret about his past life, an hidden secret Stefan shamed about, and Klaus wasn’t completely wrong.
The first name on the list was Giuseppe Salvatore. Someone could have though that Giuseppe was Stefan’s brother, but Klaus remembered a conversation about family, when Klaus talked for the first time of the other siblings, Stefan confessed to have a brother and not to have seen him for a long time and that he was a vampire too.
So Klaus assumed that Giuseppe Salvatore was the father of his favorite ripper and for the first time in long time felt proud of another vampire, he was proud of his friend and he felt also honored himself. Stefan trusted him, he was showing him that by revealing his deepest secret. The list of his victims, he was sure about it after reading Liam Grant name on it.

“Why do you write their name ?” Klaus asked, even if he already understood why, but he wanted Stefan to say him.

“Because I need to remember them. I need to keep vivid the memory of their look, of their preys, of their fear… I just need to keep them alive in my mind, to remind myself why I keep doing this. Why I keep killing them, why I don’t stop myself from killing them, why I don’t come back to feed myself with bunny’s blood”

Stefan laughed when he mentioned how he used to feed himself before and Klaus looked him with surprise, undecided if believe it or not.

“Are you kidding me right ? Do you really expect me to believe that you used to prefer drinking bunnys’ blood over humans ones ?”.

“It was a long time ago. I’m different now” said Stefan with a smirk.

“Oh my God, you are, love. I couldn’t image you drinking bunny’s blood. I guess you used to be a boring vampire, all morals, rules and control… I’m happy you changed in time. I can’t put it up with a vegetarian vampire, all morals and control. My brother Elijah was like this, except for the vegetarian part, and we ended up fighting”.

“Me and my brother don’t have a different kind of relationship even if he’s never tried to stop from killing or feeding from humans.”.

“So he was the funny brother and you are the… lovely Saint ?” asked the hybrid coming closer to the other

“I’m not a Saint anymore” whispered Stefan when Klaus came so closer to him, that he could feel the other’s breath on his face.

“Good for me. Because I would like to try something with you and I’m sure that a Saint would have never accepted this”.

It was clear for both of them what was happening. They both have waited for it for long.
Stefan dreamed that moment every night, every moment of his day and now finally it was happening. Klaus was looking at him with a predatory look, like an animal ready to devour his prey. The hybrid came closer and closer to the other’s face until their lips met and they kissed, like there were no tomorrow. As if their immortal lives depended on that contact, on that kiss.
It wasn’t a gentle kiss, it seemed a sort of war of dominance between them, even if Stefan submitted himself to Klaus.
Klaus’ tongue entered in Stefan’s ones, possessing and reclaiming every single part of it. Klaus bitted, sucked his lips, he grabbed Stefan’s face with his two hands to kiss him harder and deeper, almost desperate. Stefan surround other’s neck with his arms, and their bodies adhered to each other and the clothes seemed like an insufferable wall between them and they pleasure. Klaus push Stefan against a wall and then he stopped kissing him and he bitted him on his neck. Stefan screamed, for the pain, but after for the pleasure. Klaus’s never drunk anything sweeter than Stefan’s blood, nothing ever made him so thirsty, so greedy to have more of it, so needy of it, as if Stefan’s blood was a cure for the poisoning hatred and solitude inside of his veins.

“I want more”

It sounded as a simple statement, but Stefan knew it was a request, even if Klaus never asked for anything in his life, to possess him entirely, completely.

“Then take me. I’m all yours”.

And Stefan meant that words, with every single part of his heart. He belonged to Klaus, he always would be his and his only. If there was any chance that he could escape from his feelings for the hybrid now they were gone. Stefan surrendered to his feelings, to the sensation of the hot hands of Klaus, so hot, while he was undressing him, or while the hybrid pushed him on his bed, starting to kiss him all over his body, marking every single part of his skin, reclaiming the vampire under him as his and his only.

“You will be mine… forever”

Klaus was penetrating him harder, deeper, taking everything, every part of the other man.

“You will be mine forever… I will own you forever”

Stefan moaned, grabbing Klaus’ head with a hand and surrounded his neck with the other, pushing his body against him whispering into his ear an eternal promise.

“I will always love you. I’m yours, forever and ever.”

…

That was the last memory Stefan had about the most important love of his life, but then he forgot it too and everything became dark. He would never understood why Klaus was excluding him from his life, why he was abandoned him after all the kiss and the love between them. He was exactly like Damon, and this is probably why Stefan fell in love with him so easily. He shouldn’t have let himself fall for anyone, but he couldn’t regret it even.
He had only a moment, before Klaus abandoned for what seemed forever and before Stefan forgot him completely to think “I will alway love you”.
A deep part of him, always kept that promise.
In fact he never fell in love with an other man, he only fell in love with Elena, the girl who was so similar to Katherine, even if she was completely different from her, and from him, that part who still loved him accepted to love Elena because she was different from Klaus, because it almost surrendered to the idea that it’s owner would never come back.
This until Klaus suddenly reappeared in his life, with all the intentions of killing Elena and other of his new friends to brake a curse that didn’t allow him to turn himself into a wolf.
Stefan couldn’t let Klaus killing the girl he loved with all his heart, so he fought against the man he didn’t remember to be in love with until he found out that Damon was dying after Tyler Lockwood bitted him.
He looked for a cure and when he believed that Klaus could have helped him to save his brother and he did. He offered his blood, the only cure for a vampire to survive after being bitted by a werewolf, but then Klaus reclaimed his company, reclaimed his loyalty, Klaus wanted him to leave Mystic Falls with him and he did.
But Klaus never accepted him for who he was, or became. Stefan could feel it, every single time Klaus looked at him, he looked for something, someone, inside of him that he never found.
What was Klaus looking for ? Who ?
Why he were always so disappointed when he looked at him ? Why Klaus wanted so hard to turn in someone else ? Why did he chose him in the first place ?
Klaus wasn’t a fool, he knew that between him and Damon he was the weakest one, so why didn’t he chose Damon over him ? What did Stefan look so special at Klaus’ eyes since the first moment he saw him ?
Stefan also noticed that sometime Klaus talked to him as an old friend, talked about him as he knew him better than himself and he seemed to be hiding something, a darker deepest truth behind his baby blue eyes that Stefan wasn’t sure to want to know.
But the strangest thing was that every time Klaus touched him he felt strange, he felt protected, he felt safe. Even when Klaus grabbed his throat threatening him to rip his heart out of his chest, or to snap his neck if he didn’t obey to him, or better, when he didn’t reflect the image Klaus had of him.
At some point Stefan started to think that maybe, maybe, he and Klaus met each other, in other time, and he didn’t remember anything about that. But He wasn’t sure about it, because, how could anyone forget to ever met someone like Klaus ?
The hybrid wasn’t someone easily to forget, even after one conversation, and if he ever met him before, Stefan would have been surprise not to have fear him or to be still alive. Only a fool didn’t fear Klaus, but Stefan wasn’t a fool and he knew he should have feared Klaus especially now that he’s been lying to him since they left Mystic Falls about Elena’s death. And he did, he didn’t deny it, but he didn’t fear him completely, there was a part of him which was intrigued by the hybrid, a part of him which was screaming at him for whatever reason that he couldn’t understand.
A part of him, wanted nothing more to make the hybrid proud of him, being whoever or whatever the hybrid wanted him to be. What was making him afraid the most, was that this part sometimes became stronger than his sense of guilty toward his murders, stronger than his morals, stronger than his love for Elena, stronger than his love for Damon, stronger than himself.
All the conflicts inside him gave him the strength to take a risk and call Elena, he needed to hear hear voice, he needed to be reassured, he needed to know that he was doing the right things, that he had to hold on, that his beloved ones still believe in him, that he could pass through this. That he was the same good guy who Lexi saved a long time ago.
He suffered, he lived in the agony because of human’s blood, he suffocated the Ripper inside of him to make other’s proud of him, not to disappointed the only two person who always believed in him, Leslie and Elena.
But what now ? Lexi died, she couldn’t save him anymore and Elena was far away from him and he was all alone with someone who want him to turn off his humanity and being just like him, a monster. Who constantly threatened him and his family.
Who obliged him to kill Damon’s girlfriend, Andie.
And still he needed to come back to Klaus, he needed to know he was okay, he just needed to stay close to the hybrid.

“You’re back”.

That was the first thing Klaus said when he saw him entered into the bar, while he was still controlling how Ray was doing with his transformation.
Stefan looked Klaus for a second and he imagined for a moment, he said imagined because it couldn’t be possibile, that Klaus was happy to see him. He saw a light in his eyes, a sense of relief and his eyes became sweet for a second. But Stefan believed that, more than gabby, we was satisfied that his little new marionette came back to him, probably too much scare even to try to escape from him.
Stefan asked how Ray was going but Klaus ignored his question.

“I knew you’d passed the test. You still care for your brother, for your old life”

Klaus looked sorry while he was saying that, as he had hoped that, after all that time spent together he would have finally became Stefan’s priority, the only thing that mattered in the other’s life.

“I don’t care about anything anymore”.

“You put on a good show Stefan, I almost believe you, and I hoper you brother believed too. I also found out today that, not matter what, You can’t stop caring about family” whispered Klaus in his ear after Stefan sit down “But every time you feed, the blood made averting easier, you finally let yourself go. And believe me, you are magnificent when you let yourself go.”.

‘But I can’t let myself go, or I would became exactly like you’, Stefan though even if he didn’t have the courage to say it. He didn’t want to upset the hybrid so he remained silence, ignoring the agonizing Ray behind his shoulders and the hybrid’s presence next to him which was making him feel uncomfortable. His words was still making him feel uncomfortable, because the mysterious part inside of Stefan knew that that words were true. Something inside of him was trying desperately to hold on, to cling at his memories with Elena, in Mystic Falls, not to abandoned to the darkness, but when he drank human blood he felt so free, so powerful, so… magnificent as he hasn't been feeling for a long time.
But why ?
‘Because you want it, because that’s what you really are’.
Great, now he also had this strange voices in his head, probably he was becoming crazy, fantastic.

“A penny for your thoughts, love” said Klaus sitting next him.

“Nothing in particular… I just… try to put some order in my head.”

It seemed such a stupid answer but Stefan couldn’t think another. He was sincere at least, because his mind was a mess, a confusing puzzle of million pieces scattered in front of his eye and he hasn’t found a way to unite them yet.
There was something, a piece that he still didn’t have, there had to be. An hidden truth that was waiting to be revealed by him. He had to ask Klaus, but not now. So he waited untile they didn’t come back to their motel room, with a fainted Ray on the couch, too weak to try to escape from them. Stefan took a shower and Klaus did the same.

“Take some rest, love. Tomorrow will be an important day. I will finally create new hybrids like me and I want you to be ready for that moment” said Klaus in an exciting tone.

“I have to be ready because you will be finally free of me and replace me with one of your new toys ?” asked Stefan laying on the bed.

“Oh don’t be silly love. No one in the world will replace you, ever.” said Klaus in a strange voice “I will always need you”.

The last part of the sentence was almost whispered and Stefan believed to have imagined that, so he didn’t focus his attention on it more than necessary. He looked at Klaus to study his facial expressions but the hybrid lay down on the other bed and gave him shoulders, so that Stefan couldn’t see his face.

“Klaus, can I ask you a question ?”

“Is it necessary ? I want to rest, if you don’t mind” answered Klaus in a bored tone of voice.

“Why me ? Why didn’t you chose Damon over me ? He was stronger, faster and he would have appreciated all this murderous stuff, so… why me ?”.

Stefan needed to know, because that question was burning him from the inside. He wasn’t the bad guy, he wasn’t a murder, even if he found himself incapable of resisting at human blood, his sense go guilty was stronger as well, the biggest part of time. He wasn’t special, he didn’t have special qualities, he wasn’t even so much older as a vampire. Klaus was an original, he created the first vampires, older and stronger than him so why he was wasting his time with him ? Why were they together ? Why did Klaus seem relief when he saw him coming back at the grill ? He said he was sure he passed the test, but Stefan could swear that there has been a moment when Klaus probably though he would never come back again.

“Because it wasn’t you who was dying at the appropriate moment, it was him. And you were so desperate to save him that you sold your soul to devil. You would have done whatever it took to save your brother’s life, I knew it and I took an advantage of that” said Klaus with the same bored tone.

Stefan reflected for a moment on that answer and something didn’t convince him.

“You could cure Damon and took him with you. Damon would have done anything to survive, so he would accepted everything, even abandoned Mystic Falls with you. You would have had the perfect partner in crime, someone who lives without rules and morals and this stuff. Someone who wouldn’t have been feared to let himself go”.

“Yeah… but Damon wasn’t you” again Klaus said it so slowly that Stefan thought to have imagined “Damon didn’t show the same spirit of sacrifice of yours. And also you have… something which caught my attention since the first time.”

“What ? I’ve nothing special. I’m very ordinary to be a vampire”

“I don’t think so. Just for the fact that you used to feed yourself with animal’s blood makes you everything but an ordinary vampire. I’m surprised that you have drunken animal blood for almost one hundred years, it shows a strong will in my opinion. I’m impressed. And yes, sure you aren’t the strongest vampire I ever met, but I have the sensation that you have many special talents you’s been hiding from the world, maybe even from yourself and I want find them out”.

“I assured you, I have no special talents” said Stefan, almost sad for that.

“ We will see. Now, sleep love. Tomorrow will be a special day”.

Stefan didn’t answer, he just closed his eyes but he didn’t fell asleep right away, he spent the an entire hour thinking about the new informations. Klaus said that he chose him over Damon because of his spirit of sacrifice, because he was so desperate for his brother’s life that he would have accepted every conditions from the hybrid and he was impressed because he resisted year after year drinking animal blood but this didn’t make any sense. They were only excuses. Although Klaus looked evil and sadistic enough to feel joy in turn someone completely good into someone completely monstrous, Stefan didn’t think he would have risk his important Operation Hybrid just for his fun. And… maybe he was becoming crazy for real but he heard Klaus said that Damon wasn’t him. What did that supposed to mean ? Damon wasn’t him, he feed human blood so he would have been perfect.
Klaus also talked about his talents… what kind of talents did he supposed to have ?
That conversations didn’t help him at all to understand the situation. So he feel asleep.

...

Stefan’s just finished to recollected the various part of the body of his last victim. Liam Grant and his beautiful wife were keeping their hands in a mortal pose in their house. Stefan was so satisfied of his artwork. Very proud. Liam Grant became insufferable and he had enough fun with his boring wife, especially after he met not one, but two, originals. Especially after he met Klaus. He knew he was in a sort of relationship with Rebekah and that Klaus didn’t accept it, because he believed he was pathetic, an idiot, probably, and he wasn’t stronger like Rebekah. but he was sure to have earned points that night with his little show with Liam Grant. Klaus looked very impressed by his talent, by him and Stefan was very happy about it.
He didn’t know why, but he felt the strong necessity to be noted by the hybrid, to be estimated by him, to become his friend, maybe even more, he hoped about it. He felt strange about the hybrid, also strange about himself. He’s never felt like this before, at least not for a men. He didn’t become homosexual, he was sure about that because he wasn’t disgusted by women’s body either he stopped to be attracted by them, he just felt something for Klaus in particular.
He still didn’t know what he felt, or he did but maybe a part of him was still in denial, he didn’t know, but he would understood.

“So, is this what does the ripper of Monterey usually do to his victims ? Draining, ripping and recomposing his victims like a puzzle ? Interesting”

Stefan boggled and turned to the owner of the voice behind him. He was surprised when he saw Klaus behind him, with a smirk on his face while he was seeing the Grants ripped and recomposed on their couch in their home, who looked like two terrible death dolls.
Stefan didn’t hear him arrived, he was so concentrated on his work that anyone else could entered in the room without been noted by him, especially a vampire.

“How long have you been there ? Did you enjoyed the show ?” asked Stefan cleaning his mouth, even if it was perfectly clean, but he felt embarrassed and he wanted to something to calm himself.

“Love, you’ll have to pay more attention in the future because I was following you since you went away from the Gloria’s. Imagine if it were another vampire instead of me, and enemy of yours for example. Anyway, after your little show withe the poor Liam Grant, I was curious to see the famous Ripper of Monterey in action and, I’m sincere, that rumors don’t give you justice. You were magnificent while you were draining and ripping them, love” said Klaus coming a little closer to him.

“And while was I recomposing them ? Did you get bored ?” Stefan asked trying to look indifferent.

“Non at all. I wasn’t bored, I was curious. I still am, curious I meant.”.

“About what ?”

Stefan didn’t understand why the hybrid was curious about him recomposing his victims. According to Stefan it wasn’t strange at all, in fact it was the most normal thing he did to his victim and then he understood that it was the most human and compassionate ones too. For a vampire who turned off his humanity, recomposing his victims shouldn’t have be so important as for him. But Stefan needed to do it every single time. A part of him, the good boy inside of him, still thought that that people deserved to be respected, at least after their death. They weren’t animals or dolls, so he could waist some of time trying to give them back some of their dignity.

“Why do you feel the need to recompose them ? Why don’t letting them shattered in pieces on the floor ? I observed you, you turned off your humanity as me, but in some way, a part of you still need to relieve you sense of guilty for killing them.”.

Klaus has been observing Stefan since he started to hunt the Grants and he found himself incapable of looking away from him, not even for a second. If the first time he saw him, Klaus had think that Stefan was one of the greatest clown he ver met, now he found him incredible and magnificent. When he obliged Liam Grant to drink his wife’s blood Klaus was wordless. He’s never met a vampire who a had the courage to doing something like that before and he met the cruelest vampire in the world. Stefan was young and naive but he also had something that Klaus wanted to find out, so he left his sister at their house and then he followed Stefan. He was so fascinated by the way Stefan killed and tortured his victims, but when arrived the part of recomposing something in Stefan’s look changed, there were a sort go melancholy and guilty and something else that Klaus didn’t understand. There was a sort of needing to be forgiven, a sort of desperation, when Stefan recomposing the bodies with the highest precision. Klaus wanted to know why.
He though he had undertook everything about that naive young vampire, he though he was just a dick, too exited about his new status, an ex looser who wanted show the world that now was strong enough to fight it, but now ? What was that ?
Apparently his Rippah was more challenging to read than he had though. It was okay, Klaus adored the challenge, he always had.

“What is strange about that ?” asked Stefan with a little fear.

“It’s strange because you shouldn’t have to feel guilty in the first place, but you did, you still do. Why ?”.

“ Because… I don’t know… It’s seems the right thing to do, it makes me feel comforted in some ways. I know that it sound ridiculous said from a ripper like me but I feel in this way” answered Stefan crossing his arms, like he wanted to defend himself from Hybrid’s judgment.

“It’s not ridiculous is just… curious. I’ve never met a vampire stranger than you, Rippah and believe me, I met vampires with various disturbed personalities”.

“Do you think I’m disturbed ?” asked Stefan almost offended.

“Do you think you’re perfectly sane, love ?” asked Klaus with irony “And seriously, I’m not saner than you. My sister think that I’m a paranoid psychopath,, highly disturbed and with delusions of grandeur” concluded with a laugh.

“Excellent, together we would form a great due of psychopaths” said Stefan with a shiny smile.

“Why don’t start from an healthy friendship ? I don’t offer my goodwill to anyone, but you have something special that makes me think you deserve my friendship. What do you think ?” said Klaus holding out his hand.

“That I’m not so crazy to refuse the honor of such a friendship” answered Stefan shaking the other’s hand.

“Good, I’m happy for your decision. You won’t regret, my friend”, said Klaus with a smirk kissing Stefan on the forehead.

Stefan felt his front burning under hybrid touch and he was sure he was blushing, but he didn’t care. He could consider Klaus a friend and he would never give up his friendship. It was too important, Klaus was important and Stefan didn’t want lose him. He didn’t know why, but he didn’t want to lose his "BEST FRIEND".

…

Stefan woke up suddenly because of that dream. What was that ? Why did he dream about him and Klaus ? It was probably because of their strange conversation happened last night, but Stefan wasn’t convinced of that, that dreams seemed so real and the feelings that he was feeling in that dream, he could still feel now. How ? Why ? Was it a memory ?
Those questions tormented him for all the day, since when he was taking Ray’s body on his shoulders while Klaus was kidding him, when Ray run away and bitted him, even when he met Damon, Elena and Alaric.
He though about that memory especially before Ray escaped, when he asked Klaus why he needed so much to create new hybrids. Klaus said that he wanted soldier, an army to run, to conquer the world. In that moment Stefan felt hurt and scared, because he couldn’t stop himself from thinking what would have happened to him if Klaus succeeded to his plan. He shouldn’t be scared, since Elena was still alive, but he felt hurt.
He knew that there couldn’t be place for him, in the hybrid’s life after he created an army of hybrid. He would always be too weak than an hybrid. Klaus’d needed him anymore.
In some ways this was a part of the reason why he let Ray escaped, because he didn’t want anyone to take what he considered his place, on the hybrid’s side, and that was ridiculous because he didn’t want stay here with Klaus, he wanted come back to Mystic Falls, he wanted come back to Elena.
Or he tried to convinced himself that he still wanted the same things of when he left the city with Klaus. He didn’t want be stuck in that situation with the hybrid forever, at least he wouldn’t be killed by Klaus himself, especially if he would have found out the truth about Elena.
Stefan wanted to go away from him he wanted go back home but every single time he though to escape, something happened to him. In that case, the werewolf Ray bitted him and if Stefan didn’t want to die he’d had to drink Klaus’ blood.
So he came back, trying to convince himself that he was doing it only to survive, because he’d have never come back if he’d died. He wasn’t coming back for Klaus, to stay next to him while his hybrids were dying in front of him and he couldn’t understand why.
When he was screaming for desperation and anger for his failures.

“I did everything I was told, I should be able to turn them. I broke the curse, I killed the werewolf, I killed the vampire, I killed the doppelganger …”

When Stefan heard Klaus mentioned the doppelganger, he seriously feared for himself, maybe for the first time since he was with the other’s company.
Klaus used a strange tone when he said the word “doppelgänger” and Stefan’s heart lost a beat, but he tried to stay calm or to confuse his fear for Elena to sadness for Klaus. And a part of him was really sad for the hybrid. He understood after all that time spent with Klaus, or he started to understand, why was so important to him creating an army of hybrids. Klaus didn’t want other hybrid just to be more powerful, he wanted new hybrids not to be the only hybrid on the earth anymore.

‘You look like hell”

That last statement of the hybrid made Stefan relax, just a little. God, he had to really look like hell if Klaus had forgotten for a moment of his death hybrids to notice his horrible aspect.

“‘I was bitted and you don’t wanna heal me. I had to kill Ray, I don’t have choice. I failed you and I am sorry for this. Do what you have to do”.

It probably wasn’t the smartest thing to say, but at that point Stefan didn’t care anymore. He was dying at the point, the most horrible things that Klaus could have done to him was letting him dying. But he was looking at the hybrid, who was silently observing his wound, almost sadness at him, as Stefan was le last thing he had and he didn’t want to lose him too.

“It should’ve worked”

Then Klaus grabbed an empty bottle and bitted his own wrist, pouring out his blood inside of the bottle and then he tended the bottle toward Stefan, who grabbed it with a curious look. Why was Klaus helping him ? Why ? Why didn’t let him dying together with his broken dreams ?

“It appears you are the only comrade I have left”.

That, that was the moment Stefan felt shamed of himself the most, ah he has never done before. Klaus was so… sad and broken and Stefan was responsible for his misery and he also had the courage to ask for his blood to cure himself. How could he have fallen so far ?
Or… how could he feel guilty and sad for Klaus ? The hybrid deserved that and even more for all the thing he’s done to him and to his friends. Letting the hybrid create a new army of hybrids would have been dangerous and letting the other werewolves dying was better than letting them turning into Klaus’ marionettes.
Stefan didn’t do anything wrong. He had done everything to protect Elena from Klaus, not for himself.
He shouldn’t have felt guilty but he couldn’t avoid it. Why ?
Why, when Klaus looked him with that hurt look, was Stefan tempted to reveal him the truth ? Why was he tempted to bed Klaus for forgiveness ? Why did he regret that Klaus chose to save him instead of letting him die ?
Why did he want to hug the hybrid ? Trying to make him feel better ? Loved ? Trying to make him forget what he has already lost ?
He didn’t have to let himself go, doing wrong moves, or he would have put Elena in danger and he didn’t want it.
That night, Klaus decided to leave again, they went to Chicago, a magic town, in Klaus’ opinion.
Stefan noted a strange look on Klaus face all the time, like he was really feeling nostalgia for Chicago, like that town had been very important to him, for some mysterious reason.
Stefan remembered that he lived there during the roaring twenties but it was the time when he was know as the Ripper of Monterey. It was a dark period of his life, the darkest actually, and Stefan didn’t think about it with joy. Or it would be more correct saying that he didn’t remember that periodo clearly, some memories are more confuse than other and other memories seemed just disappeared.
How could his memories disappeared ? Surely Stefan got drunk a lot during roaring twenties, but a vampire couldn’t get drunk at the point to lose his sense and not to remember the things he’d done. So where were those memories ? He usually read his journals over and over again, when he had the sensation to forget something important, and he remembered that the journal written during that period was disappeared too.
Was it taken by someone ?
What if…. Klaus was the one who took his memories away from him ? Why not ?
Klaus’s always talked about them as they already knew each other, always behaved as they were old friends, as he knew everything about him and even more. A secret dark part that Stefan locked up inside of him and that Klaus pushed to set free, as he missed that part of him. As that part of Stefan’s been very important to Klaus. But hen the younger vampire thought that no one could ever be so important to Klaus like Klaus himself.
Well, creating his army of hybrids seemed really important to him, but what about the rest ? Stefan was sure not to be important to Klaus, even if Klaus called him comrade, the younger vampire was sure that he wouldn’t been useful for the hybrid forever and, when Klaus would pissed off hi he would kill him. Stefan was surprise not to be death already.
Klaus took him at Gloria’s and Stefan was surprised when he found out that Gloria was still alive. He knew he was a witch be he could never though she would have used her power to live more time. They went there because Klaus wanted some explanations about the spell, why it didn’t work, what he did wrong and stuff like that. Stefan noted that Gloria, when she looked at them, smiled in a malicious way, just like she knew something about them, something about him that Stefan was trying to find out.
Stefan started to feel very irritated about the situation in general. He hated when people around him seemed to have agreed with each other to piss him off with half truths about him and his time spent there. Why did everyone seem to know everything about him except Stefan himself ? That situations was making him crazy.
It was there, that he found out another piece of the puzzle, another clue that could help him to understand the entire situation between him and Klaus.
He found a photograph of him and Klaus, they were hugging and smiling ad the camera, and they seemed happy, really happy. Stefan also noted something else, in his eyes, there was a light, a strange happiness due to Klaus’ company. How could it be possible ? How could Klaus company make him feel happy ? And… above all… When did it happen ? He didn’t remember when he and Klaus took that picture, he didn’t remember to have encounter Klaus during the roaring twenties in the first place. Did he forget about it ? Impossible. As he said, no one could be capable of meeting the hybrid without remembering about him in the future.
In the good or in the evil, Klaus was one of the rare people who were impossible to forget. So how could he forget about him ?
Stefan had no idea, maybe it wasn’t even his fault, maybe Klaus himself took away that memory from him, but why ? Why did he make him forget about their first met ? Why didn’t Klaus give his memory back when they met in Mystic Falls ? Why did the hybrid pretend not to know him ? Why didn’t he tell Stefan the truth ?
When Stefan asked Klaus about the picture, Klaus smiled at him and he said that he wanted show him something in his old apartment in Chicago. Stefan wondered what Klaus wanted to show him in his old house. Along the way, Stefan tried to remember every single particular of his old apartment when he finally remember a detail that he had tried to forget a long time ago. The list, his list. The list with all the names of victims on it. Had he ever showed that list to Klaus ? It was impossible. That list was a secret that he has been keeping for himself since he left Chicago. Stefan felt ashamed of that list, a lot and he promised to himself that that list would be remain hidden from the rest of the world until the day he died and that day, theoretically, would never arrived.
So, how could it be possible that Stefan trust enough to Klaus to show him that intimate part of his Ripper himself when he didn’t even show that to Damon ? Was his relationship with Klaus deeper than his brotherhood ? Of course not.
His affection for Damon was stronger than everything, maybe even stronger than his love for Elena. He knew that he should have hated his brother for all the things he had done to him, but he couldn’t. Stefan knew that Damon could do the cruelest things to him and Stefan would have forgiven him anyway, and, under certain aspect, Damon was so similar to Klaus… what if Stefan forgave him despite all the things the hybrid has done to him ?
Lexi used to say that he suffered of Stockholm syndrome and now he though it was true. Maybe he really needed of a good psychologist to adjust the big problem which was his head.
They arrived at his apartment a there, there Klaus showed to know that there was a dark room behind the shelf, where the names of victims were written on a list on the wall. Stefan went inside the room, even if he knew what he would have found out, but he went there, he wanted to see his list again, he didn’t know why, but he wanted read to the names again and there he found out something else, or better, someone else, someone who shouldn’t has been there, so close to the hybrid who thought she was death.
Elena, his lovely Elena was there, she was hiding in his secret room and she was looking at him with relief, happiness and affection. When their eyes looked each other, Stefan felt protected and safe, like Elena could calm him only looking at him. She’s always had the power to make him feel better, to make him feel braver when he lost his courage, to make him feel stronger when he lost the strength, to make him feel loved in that moment that he hated himself with all his heart for what he had done to the people on that list. He mimed with his lips “I love you”, and he meant it, every single word, with all his heart.
That, that was the sign he needed to know that he was doing the right thing, that he had to fight, that he had not surrender, that he wasn’t lost forever, that he had still a life to come back. Stefan felt reassured and happy for the first time in months, but he couldn’t stay there, not with Klaus and Elena in the same apartment. He had to distract Klaus or make up something to make him go away from there without complications.
Klaus, anyway, he seemed more concentrating about something else and, at some point Klaus started to take about his time spent in Chicago, and Stefan didn’t understand why. But then, He thought about the list on the wall, in the dark room hidden by the shelf, and he thought about the apartment and about how clear Klaus had seemed to know the way to get there, and the picture of them together, of course. What was happening ? Did Klaus finally decide to reveal him the truth ? Now ? Now that Stefan was ready to leave his past definitely behind ? Why ? Why ?
Klaus started to talked about the Twenties and Stefan didn’t understand why, but, at some point, Klaus decided to leave the apartment and Stefan decided to remain in silence and listen. If the hybrid was so intent to talked about their old time together, who was Stefan to deny it to him ? Especially when Elena was in danger ?
They came back to the old storage, where Klaus was keeping the coffins of his siblings. He opened one coffin and when the coffin was opened, it revealed the body of a young beautiful woman with golden hair.

“You don’t remember about her, I guess. How could you?”.

Klaus whispered that words before he started to talked about their first met, about how Klaus used to hated Stefan, the way he was so confident about himself, about his vampire nature. Klaus was so furious that Stefan and Rebekah were together, because he didn’t consider Stefan enough to stay with an Original like his sister.

“I hated you. I hated you with all my heart, but then you show me your useful talents, you show me a lot of interested things”.

Klaus continued to talk about their old time in Chicago, and Stefan sincerely started to believe in his words. Klaus talked about that period with a strange expression on his face, and in his eyes there was a bright light, like if only remembering that memories was making him happy.
And Klaus knew that he was letting himself go, that he was showing something that he should have kept to himself, but he couldn’t. He waited to much to reunite with Stefan, with his hot Ripper who literally stole his heart from him. Because the truth was that he didn’t stop, even for a damn single moment, to think about Stefan, about how he was, where he was, how he could find him, if a little part of the younger vampire was still in love with him, if they eventually met again and if Stefan forgave him. He hoped, he never stopped.
…

Two young men were kissing each other, while they were lying naked on the bed. The blonde was kissing, or better devouring the other’s mouth, as he could live when he kiss the other the other, as it depended his life on that. Klaus was feeling so stupid and fool, but he didn’t care. He didn’t care that he feel in love with a vampire so much younger than him, so mundane, so common but also so special. Yes, there was something in him, something in Stefan Salvatore that made Klaus dependent on it. Why ?
Why did he fall in… No, Klaus’ mind refused to accept that. He couldn’t feel in love with no one, it would have been dangerous for him. How could he be sure Stefan would never leave his side ? How could he be sure Stefan would never betray him as everyone else ? How could he be so sure that Stefan would never brake his heart ? Abandon him ?
And Klaus ? Klaus knew how complicated he was. He had a bad temper, a cruel and violent behavior which he couldn’t control, especially when he was so angry that he could destroy everything around him and kill everyone around him. Klaus had also so many enemies, his life wasn’t safe, he wasn’t safe.
He knew that it was only a question of time before Mikael found him and his sister in Chicago. He knew that he would have to abandoned Stefan at that point, Stefan, or better, the Ripper would have be dangerous for him and Rebekah. He couldn’t survive with them, Mikael would have killed him easily and he would have destroyed another thing that Klaus loved with all himself.
Maybe it was because of this that he needed to enjoy of every single moments spent with his lovely Rippah, because every single moments could have been the last. Maybe that was the reason why he marked every single centimeter of Stefan’s beautiful body with his bite, of course without hurt him, but enough to show the other that the younger vampire belonged to him and him alone.
Whoever dared to looked at Stefan would have died. Klaus was a possessive type, he didn’t let anyone else touched his Rippah, kissed his Rippah, had his lovely body.

“You’re mine… mine alone” said Klaus between a kiss and another.

“I know… I’m only yours” said Stefan while he was holding Klaus against him almost with desperation, as he feared that letting him go, Klaus would have disappeared.

“Mine forever” said Klaus grabbing the other’s hair and and biting him on the neck.

Stefan’s moan was an amazing sound and his blood was the sweetest nectar Klaus’s ever drunk. It became a drug for Klaus, the only things that could keep him alive with Stefan’s love. The best part was that he didn’t have to stop, Stefan wasn’t human, and Klaus could enjoy of his blood how much he wanted.
While Klaus was taking another part of him, Stefan though, for a moment, that Klaus’s never let him bitting him and he asked himself if Klaus only considered him as a lover or worst a property, instead of a… what ? A boyfriend ?
Stefan felt stupid for that thought. Klaus would have never been his, would ever accepted to belong to anyone, especially him. Why would Klaus preferred him over another vampire ? Maybe stronger than him ? More beautiful than him ?

“I love you”.

Stefan said, when he felt Klaus’ teeth out of his skin. He didn’t know why he said it, he knew he shouldn’t have, he knew it was dangerous showing his feelings in that way, especially for someone so powerful like Klaus, but he felt in that way about the original. He loved him, no, he was in love with him and now Stefan accepted that his heart no longer belonged to him but to Klaus. Klaus owned his heart, he owned everything of Stefan.
Klaus didn’t say anything, instead he kissed the other vampire again.

“Did you remember the first time we met ?” Klaus asked with his usual smirk.

“I could never forget your rude comment on my hair. Admit you were jealous of my hair” joked Stefan, trying to hide his delusion for Klaus ignoring his declaration.

“Oh I was jealous, but not of your funny hair. I was jealous of my sister”.

“Yeah, you are so protective about her. My sister was the luckiest of the sisters, you know why ?” asked Stefan.

“Why ?” asked Klaus without understand.

“Because she’s never born. Between me and Damon she would have probably died virgin” joked Stefan.

Klaus laughed but then said “Yeah, probably your sister is luckier than mine. Sometimes I wonder why she hasn’t left me yet. But, when I said that I was jealous of her I didn’t mean in a brother way, but more like someone who saw a beautiful new thing in the hands of someone else and he’s jealous because he wish he could have had that thing instead.”.

“Why ? I thought you hated me when you saw me for the first time” Stefan said raising eyebrows.

“I hated you a lot. You seemed intended to steal away the love of my sister from me and I couldn’t accept. Did Rebekah tell you that I didn’t want to meet you ?” asked Klaus laying on its side next to Stefan.

“But then you accepted to meet me” concluded Stefan.

“Actually I didn’t. I have been sitting all alone for hours before I decided to come closer to you and Rebekah to convince her to go away. I was determinate to completely ignore you but I couldn’t. You were so confident and fearless, you looked right in my eyes when you talked to me and you had that funny hair. I’ve known since that moment that you would have been a trouble for me. Guess I was right. Look where we are now” said Klaus surrounding Stefan’s body with his arm.

“Do you regret this ?” asked Stefan with fear.

Klaur kissed his forehead and then he said “No, I could never regret this. You’re the only person who’s never thought about me like a monster. You said I’m a king, you said I’m powerful and you don’t fear it. You don’t despise me at all. When I’m with you I don’t feel alone and it’s strange because I’ve been feeling alone since I found out I was an hybrid. No one’s never tried to understand how makes you feel the knowledge that you don’t belong to anything in the world, especially if you’re the result of an affair. My family’s never been the same since the day we turned into a vampire, I’ve never been the same.”.

“You are not that bad, if you want to know it.” said Stefan caressing the other’s cheekbone

“You haven’t spent enough time with me to know that it’s not easy staying with me. I have a lot of enemies. Sometimes it seems that I make a new one every single day. I’ve no a easy life.”

“No one has an easy life, but I guess that having a lot of enemy is a collateral effect of being the most powerful creature of the world”

“Do you think you could handle it ? A life full of enemies I mean”.

Klaus regretted to have ask that question , he feared Stefan’s answer, he feared that he would have said that he couldn’t handle a life full of danger and hatred, a life spent by escaping from the rest of the world because all his lover could do was making new enemies over and over again. A person like him that wasn’t capable of change, who was stuck to repeat the same terrible mistakes over and over again. A person who is incapable of create something beautiful, only destroying it and blaming someone else for his mistakes. It would have been so easy saying that it would have been Stefan’s fault if he eventually got hurt, it would have been so easy blaming Stefan for his weakness, for his stupidity if Mikael got him killed. It would has been so easy for him hurt Stefan to death, killing him by himself only not to let his father taking another precious thing away from him.
Would has he been capable of killing Stefan ?
Klaus knew and the younger vampire was not safe with him because Klaus was the first enemy to fight in the first place, and still the hybrid hope Stefan to stay with him forever. Klaus would have killed him otherwise. He hoped he wouldn’t, he knew he could do it.

“I can handle everything for the right person who I want spend my eternity with”.

That was the answer Klaus wanted to hear and he also understood that the younger vampire with his funny hair who was lying next to him was the creature he wanted to spend his immortality too. Stefan Salvatore looked as a common mundane vampire, but he had something that made him the most special too, at least at Klaus’ eyes.
That night they made love for another time before they met Rebekah at the Gloria’s. That was also their last night for a long time, because that night Mikael found Klaus and Rebekah in Chicago and obliged them tu run away.
Rebekah didn’t want follow him, she wanted remain with Stefan but Klaus couldn’t let her go so he daggered her and then he made Stefan forget.

“You must forget Rebekah and me”, Nik said. “Until I say otherwise, you never knew us, Stefan. Thank you anyway. I had forgotten what it was like to have a brother”.

When Klaus went away from Chicago with the coffins of his siblings, he had just one thought in his mind, “I love you too, Stefan”.

…

Stefan was so angry, so furious, so hurt. He was feeling just like when Klaus made him forget everything about their time together, their relationship and his love for him. How did Klaus dare to take away his memories from him, put up a pathetic show of their “friendship”, make him feel like a pathetic little fool, and then give his memorie back only because he wanted his stupid little puppy back ?
Stefan was angry, so angry that he could actually make something stupid. The only thing this was sopping him from doing it was the little good sense he still had.
He didn’t talk to Klaus all day, only to insult him or to have fun of him with Rebekah, while Klaus was treating her like a brat and Stefan dared to tell him he wasn’t a pic nic either and that he had spent all the summer with him and that was enough to make him to want to blow off his head.
Klaus got offended for his comment and Stefan considered it a little revenge for all the things Klaus made to him. More the little original brat was offended for his comment, more Stefan was glad, even if he knew that Klaus would have got his revenge for every single comment of him.
Stefan also found out that no one in that original family was easy to get along with. Now that he remembered everything about his relationship with Rebekah he couldn’t understand how he could have been attracted by someone so childish, so annoying and so spoiled ? But then he remember he had been in love with Katherine and Klaus too, so he shouldn’t be surprised of his horrible tastes in matter of lovers.
At some point Stefan really needed some air and space, far, far away from the two originals who was making him wanting to kill himself.
But his good star seemed to have completely abandoned him that day. First of all, Gloria caught him and tried to kill him to fine the necklace of Rebekah, which was around Elena’s neck in that moment and that was putting her in danger again. Then Katherine saved him and tried to persuade him to be her new partner in crime. She wanted him to help her to find a way to kill Klaus but Stefan refused her propose. He was risking too much at that moment with the two originals trying to find out a way to create new hybrids and also he knew Klaus was angry with him for not having said nothing about his memories, their relationship and for having fun of him with Rebekah.

“Are you sure that keeping Elena safe is the only reason why you don’t want collaborate with me to kill Klaus ?” asked Katherine with her usual smirk “Because I suppose that, for screaming his name to save you, you have to trust him a lot”.

Stefan thanked God for not being able to blush, especially not in front of that viper. He didn’t even thank her for saving him. Especially because he was sure she didn’t do it for him, probably she wanted something in return. Probably she needed a new partner in crime to kill Klaus, but Stefan would never help her. Not after all the things she had done to him and to Damon.

“Probably I trust him more than you. In fact I made a deal with him, with you… well, I would not trust you my dog, let alone my life or my loyalty”.

“ You do have a horrible consideration for me, although I’ve just saved your life. Poor me, so I guess you will not be my partner in crime, ah ?”.

“Absolutely not”

Stefan was going to go out, when Katherine talked again.

“You know, I’ve been following you and Klaus since you arrived here, in Chicago. Maybe I’m not perceptive as an Original, maybe is mine feminine instinct, but I noticed that you’re different when Klaus is around you. You seemed so confident, so invincible, while the Stefan Salvatore that I knew was a little shiny teenager who seemed to fear his own shadow. And he is also different when he is with you.”.

“I don’t know what you meant and I don’t care” said Stefan opening the door of the club.

“Yeah, yeah. You are in denial. Totally understandable. I mean, who would have the courage to admit he is love with a monster”.

“I was in love with you once. Should I be shamed of this too ?”.

“I’m not Klaus” Said Katherine almost offended.

“Yeah, maybe you’re even worst. I don’t know, I don’t care. I spent too much time here, I have to come back Klaus or he will start to suspect something”.

“Yeah, for example that you betrayed him for Elena. Poor Klaus !” joked Katherine “For the record, Klaus is paranoid, he doesn’t trust anyone, so you shouldn’t worry too much about his faith in you because, I swear, it’s almost inexistent. He will never trust you, he doesn’t even have faith in his siblings. So why don’t you ally with me against Klaus ? He’s the one who obliged you to abandon you lovely Elena, he’s the one who obliged you to kill innocent people, something you hate with all your heart. Why don’t help me to find a way to get free of him ?” asked Katherine crossed her arms.

“Because first, I don’t trust you. You stabbed me in the back more times than I can count and secondly I’ve already said that helping you to find a way to kill Klaus could be dangerous for Elena. If Klaus is so paranoid, it means that I must come back to him before he decides to look for me and maybe see us together”.

“Yeah, go little puppy. Go back to your lovely owner. You know Stefan ? You can fool everyone, even yourself if you want, but I remember the way Klaus looked at you that night, when you two made a deal, and I can assure you, it wasn’t a look of an old friend and you, well, you have feelings for Klaus and maybe he has feeling for you as well, considering the way you two act around each other. Maybe he is in denial too, who knows. Sorry for having waste your time, I didn’t understand that the only reason why you can’t kill Klaus is because you desire him like a lover.”

“I’m done with you”

“Goodbye Stefan”.

Stefan was even more irritated than before. How did Katherine dare to say that he had feelings for Klaus ? For Klaus !! Of all people. It was true, Stefan had been in love with Klaus a long time ago but he wasn’t ready to admit it to himself, let alone Katherine Pierce. And Stefan didn’t desire the hybrid anymore, Klaus hurt him too much. Klaus obliged Stefan to forget everything about their unhealthy relationship, he abandoned Stefan in Chicago and escaped without a valid explanation. Stefan hated him. When he came back to the storage he found Rebekah alone, who was trying to seduce him, making him remember how much he loved her, how much they were perfect together but Stefan wanted to ask her some questions about Chicago. He wanted to know why they escaped and from who. Especially who. Stefan couldn’t image anyone so strong or dangerous at the point to be a threat even for Klaus.
Rebekah, however, was so much perceptive, more than a normal vampire, and she quickly understood Stefan’s true intensions, so, when Klaus came back, she said that she felt that Stefan wasn’t loyal to them, that he was only declining them that he was hiding something from them. Of course Klaus trusted her and snapped Stefan’s neck.
Yes, that wasn’t a lucky day for Stefan, but that wasn’t even the worst part. When Stefan regained consciousness, he was on the back on a truck, he was lying on the floor while Klaus was in front of him and he was observing deeply the younger vampire.
The first instinct of Stefan was to try to run away but he knew that the hybrid would have captured him again quickly, so he stayed and tried to explain himself. But Klaus interrupted him.

“I’m not mad, Stefan. I’m just curious. That’s all. Rebekah seems to think you’re holding on something, a piece of your old life.

Stefan wanted to protest, but Klaus kept ignoring him and said “The things is, she’s got flawless instincts, borderline supernatural and… and if we’re all being honest here as much as I didn’t want to come to this, I knew you were keeping something from me anyway. I was hoping you’d own up to it eventually”.

Klaus looked up to Stefan and he looked quite disappointed and maybe, maybe, even hurt. Stefan couldn’t care less, not that moment at least, not the day he found out that Klaus had taken away from him an essential part of his life, Gloria had attempted to kill him, and Katherine had had fun of him and his inexistent feelings for Klaus. The only reason why Stefan hadn’t tried to do something stupid was his first instinct to survive. Nothing else.
Was Klaus hurt ? Disappointed ? Offended ? Well, Stefan was hurt, disappointed, offended, anger, sad, pissed off… Did he have to continue ?

“But now I’m sick of waiting, so i though I’d check it out, see for myself what you’ve been hiding. But… before this… I wanted to talk with you. I’m not a fool and I’m not blind, not when I don’t pretend to be. I know you’re angry with me and I know why. Do you want talk about it ? Before things become too frustrating ?”

“Oh, believe me, our past relationship’s not frustrating me, at all. Do you know what’s really frustrating me ? You, you and your frustrating way to impose your decisions to everyone, and to use everyone as your possessed. How did you dare take my memories aways from me ? Hod did you dare leave me in Chicago alone in that way ? Why ? Why did you come back in my life ? Now ? Now that I’ve finally…”

“Now that you’ve finally what ? Putting up a new show ? Let me guess, you were being so happy before I came back into your life. You had an amazing lovely girlfriend, who completely accepted who you really were, who preferred you over Damon, who would have sacrificed everything for you, who would have looked for you if she had still lived. You had friends, you had a normal life and everything were unicorns and rainbows until I came back and I took you aways from your show. A show where you pretended to be someone who you really weren’t.”.

“I’m exactly who I want to be” said Stefan.

Stefan tried to look confident and sure of himself but he wasn’t. He knew ,and probably Klaus did too, his problem with his bloodlust which turned him twice into a monster. He did so much to be capable of resist, to stop all his instincts, he made so many sacrifices to arrive at the point he were, but Klaus made all his sacrifice nothing, he took everything again from him, again. Stefan hated him so much at the moment, so much and the things he hated the most was that he knew he still loved him. A part of Stefan, that one which never stopped to love the hybrid, still loved him, not matter what.

“No, you don’t. You were so magnificent when I left you. You were an idiot with funny hair, but you were so… I was so attracted to you, you were so confidence, so passional, so untamed. You were free and you were beautiful…”

“And is this why you left me ?” Asked Stefan interrupting the other.

“No, I left you because someone who was hunting me and my sister had found us and so we had to escaped. You couldn’t come with us because you were too much younger and naive”.

“And what does that suppose to mean ? You should have let me to take my decision on my own. I was a person, I’m a person, I should be free of taking my decisions, but of course freedom isn’t a concept you seem to know so much, right ? And not you’re also pretending that you have done all you have done just because you cared about me.”.

“I did care about you ! I still care about you, this is because I wanted to find you…”.

“If you really wanted me back you would have given me back my memories the first time we met. You wouldn’t have hurt me the way you did by obliging me to abandoned my brother and my friends…”

“… And who ? Your dead girlfriend ?If she’s really death and you wouldn’t have lied about it all this time.”.

“Oh, now are you trying to convince me that you killed her because you’re jealous of her ? Come on, you wanted her death only to brake the curse”.

“Maybe, I admit I was really determinate to brake the curse but the fact that the doppelgänger was your girlfriend was only an incentive to kill her to have you back. You have not idea how much heartbroken I was when I saw you. I remembered an amazing independent vampire, who didn’t give a damn of who the other thought about him and who did I find ? A weak, oppressed, vegetarian vampire, who preferred drinking animals’ blood over humans’ one. Who tried stubbornly and steadily to repress his true nature, for what ? For a little human girl who would never, ever, loved him for his true nature.”.

“Yes, because You do love me, right ? I don’t remember you ever said me You loved me. Maybe you’ve never done because you’ve never loved me. Why should you have after all ? I’m nothing special, I’ve never been. Not for you anyway and…”

Stefan couldn’t say anything more because Klaus grabbed his face with both his hands and kissed him harder. Stefan didn’t kiss him back at the first, but then he kissed the hybrid back, surrounding the other’s neck with his arms. There was anger, in that kiss, anger, desperation, need of dominance, missing, needy. It seemed that they were continuing their fight through that kiss. Stefan abandoned himself at the kiss at the end. He was tired of fighting Klaus, tired of fighting his feelings for him, tired of repressing who he really were, what he really felt. He loved Klaus, he’ve always had, he would always do. His heart belonged to the hybrid since their first met. Not matter how many times it would have ended up broken in thousand million pieces, not matter how many times Klaus would have hurt him, not matter how many Stefan would have tried to hate him, he’d always love him, and that wasn’t fair. But love was rarely fair and Stefan had to try to deal with it.
Loving Klaus was a thing, but he couldn’t let Klaus destroy him and everything he cared. He still had a secret to protect from Klaus.

“All this time… And I still love you like if it was yesterday the last time we met… but… I can’t let you hurt me again. I’ve lot of things to loose this time.”.

“Shouldn’t I be more important than the other things you can loose ?”.

“Shouldn’t have I been too ? And still you are disposed to loose me to get everything you want. You’d be capable of destroying me to get what you want”.

“Only if you try to stop me. I’m going to ask you once, would you give up everything and everyone for me ?”.

“Would you ?”

“I asked first”.

“I don’t care”.

Klaus at that point snapped Stefan neck and let him falling down on the floor again, senseless. Stefan didn’t know, but Klaus was tired too. He was tired of hurting him, tired of disappointing him, tired of Stefan’s lies, tired to fight against him, but he had to. He sacrificed and waited too much to brake the curse and create his personal army of hybrids. Stefan could only imagine how it was being one and only in a world where everyone despised you made you feel shamed of how you were born, hide who you are, a world where everyone thought about you like an abomination.
Klaus learnt a long time ago not to give a damn about what other’s feelings. People ignored his pain for so long that Klaus learnt to ignore their too. Nothing about other was important to him, nothing.
No one cared about him where his father abused him, where he destroyed everything he loved, when his siblings turned against him.
No one care about him in such a long time that he forgot how it was when someone cared about him.
Stefan was the first person who saw him as a King and who conquered his heart. He became Klaus’ strongest weakness, when he didn’t suppose to have any weakness at all. Maybe he let Stefan go because he wanted to stop to feel weak, because he wanted to stop to care about someone else, because he wanted to go back when he couldn’t have any feelings for anyone, when it was so easy being selfish and self center, when it was so easy pretend that the loneliness wasn’t so painful, because once he abandoned Stefan, he didn’t stop, not even for a second, to feel alone and abandoned. He’s been feeling a cruel emptiness inside of him since he left Chicago in the roaring twenties. He felt betrayed and hurt and vengeful when he saw his Stefan in love with another person, not matter if she was Katherine or her doppelgänger, Stefan belonged to him. Probably Stefan wouldn’t have believed him, but while Klaus was kissing him for the first time, he knew he was falling in love with him too, even if it had been more difficult for him to admit to himself.
Falling in love was weak, was a human’s stuff. Love was a vampire’s greatest weakness, and the vampire weren’t weak, they didn’t feel and they didn’t care. That were his words, that were his rule, that were his armature, the walls he built up against the world.
Stefan destroyed it, a simple vampire so much younger than him that could kill him with just a smile. Klaus died and came back alive every time he kissed Stefan.
‘Why ? Why do I love you ?” Klaus thought while the truck stopped. They arrived in Mystic Falls.

…

Klaus wasn’t a person who usually got easily angry… indeed he totally skipped that part and he became directly furious when something didn’t go his way. So, when he saw the little doppelgänger alive walking through the high school’s corridors he would have been capable of blowing up the entire school only to be sure to kill the doppelgänger. Could be that ? Could be that the reason why he couldn’t have been able to create a new army of hybrids ?
How ? How could it be possible ? How could the doppelgänger survive ? Did Stefan know this ? Was this the secret that Stefan was holding to himself ?
Klaus felt betrayed and anger as never. He knew Stefan had changed a lot since Chicago, he knew he wasn’t his lover Ripper anymore, but he had hoped that, with time and patience, his best friend would have come back to him eventually. But now he understood it was too late.
Stefan would never be his ripper again, he had lost him forever.
‘She… she took him away from me”.
And suddenly that knowledge brake something inside of Klaus that he though it could never be fixed again. It was the knowledge to have lost his loved ones forever.

“That’s my girl” he said when she saw him.

“Klaus”.

The doppelgänger gasped, she was scared and Klaus smiled, liking what he was seeing in her eyes. She was doing right by fearing him, she should have, he would make her suffer, both of them knew it. She tried to run, but Klaus was faster than her.

“You were supposed to be dead. What are we going to do about that ?”.

‘What are we going to do about you stealing my boyfriend from me?’, that was what Klaus wanted to say, but he didn’t. He didn’t want her to know how much she hurt him by taking away the only person who had ever truly loved him. Or the he supposed to say the person who used to love him. Stefan didn’t love him anymore, and even if the younger vampire still had some feelings for him it didn’t matter, Stefan chose the girl over him. He lied to him during all the summer, during all their time together.
Klaus didn’t expect Stefan to love him again, but he at least hoped to have gained his allegiance. It didn’t happen and now Klaus was feeling lonely as ever.

“You put rather large came from my plan, sweetheart. The whole point of breaking the curse and becoming a hybrid was to make more hybrids. I haven’t been able to do that, now my bet is it has something to do with the fact that you’re still breathing.”

“If you’re gonna to kill me just do it” said the brave doppelgänger.

“I’m not gonna do until I know I’m right, but I do have ways of making you suffer”

‘As you’re making me suffer…” Klaus though while he was entering in the gym, where other students were preparing some stupid jokes for the Senior Prank Night.

“Attention seniors !! You have officially been busted. Prank night is over then go home.” but then he decided to have more entertainment “You two !!” he said pointed two guys who were getting out with all the other students “I remember you !”

“I’m sorry, who are you ?”, asked the human girl a little confused.

“Oh don’t worry, I wasn’t in my right head last time we met. Could you lift up your leg ?”, the girl lifted up her leg and then Klaus said to the boy “If she drops her leg, I want you to beat her to death, understood ?”

“Don’t Klaus, you don’t have to hurt anyone”

Elena was begging him for mercy. Always so brave, so ready to protect everyone. Klaus could say why Stefan fell in love with her, he wanted so much someone who could truly care about him, who wasn’t shame of loved someone, who told him how much she needed him without shame, without the fear to look weak.
Stefan chose her over him because she didn’t fear or hide her feelings for him.
Klaus clenched his fists for the anger.

“Oh come on, love. Of course I do”

‘I have to make you suffer in this way and even more’.

He sit down on the and waited. He knew that when Stefan regained consciousness he would come there to look for him and Elena. So he just waited. Probably now the younger vampire was fighting against Rebekah, but Klaus truly hoped that Stefan arrived there. He wanted him to look him in the eyes and told him that he didn’t care for the doppelgänger anymore, that he never knew that she survived when he tried to kill her, that he did care for their friendship, that he would have given up everything for his forgiveness. Klaus wanted Stefan to choose his side over Elena’s ones. Klaus wanted Stefan to choose him once and for all.
When Stefan arrived, few hours later, it was clear by his face that his struggle with Rebekah had been more challenge that he though, but Klaus didn’t care. Stefan was finally there and now, now, Klaus would have finally seen if he had lost Stefan forever. In this case… well… things wouldn’t end up well for anyone.

“Klaus” said Stefan when he entered.

“Come to save your damsel mate ?” asked Klaus trying to hide his anger and above all his jealously “Did my sister let you escape ?”.

Klaus didn’t care about Rebekah conditions, he knew his sister would have been fine eventually, she was an original like him after all. Even if she wasn’t an hybrid, she still was one of the strongest creature in the world, so he knew she was fine. And he was secretly glad for Stefan’s arrival, even if he knew that the younger vampire wasn’t there for him, but for the doppelgänger.

“No, we fought and at the end I could escape and came here, but she will be fine” Stefan reassured him.

“So, you hurt her… well I must say I’m not surprise at all. You know, vampires like me have the strange tendency to underestimate the ones like you, always so boring and innocent. We alway thought that vampires like you are not a threat, but we are wrong. I’ve been wrong, you know exactly how hurt, device and defeat a vampire like me. Indeed you’ve been devising me since we left this town.” said Klaus, then he indicate Elena and said “How couldn’t you tell me she was still alive ?”

Stefan gasped. He was feeling so guilty and shamed. That was funny, because few hours ago, he wanted hurt Klaus even more, in a crueler way, as Klaus had made him suffer, but now Stefan felt guilty for having hurt him, for having lying all the summer, for having betrayed him, but he had to. Klaus put him in a complicated position, he still was in a complicated position. Stefan knew that it was the moment to officially choose his side. Elena or Klaus, head or heart, the good or the evil, his true love or his soulmate. He couldn’t avoid this moment anymore.
And he was truly sorry because he remembered that night when all the new hybrids died during the transition and Klaus looked at him with the most desperate and sadder look of all the time.

“I’m here to ask for your forgiveness and pledge my loyalty.”

Stefan said, trying to making Klaus understand how sorry he was, but the anger was making Klaus blind at his displeasure so Stefan understood that in that moment it didn’t matter what he said, Klaus wouldn’t believed him anyway.

“Well you broke that pledge once already”.

Klaus didn’t want to say that, he didn’t want to show to Stefan how hurt and betrayed he felt but the words came out from his mouth before he could stop them. He was looking at Stefan and he could say that the younger vampire was truly sorry but Klaus didn’t care. He was too furious to care.

“Come on, Klaus. Elena means nothing to me anymore…” Stefan knew that lying wouldn’t have improved the situation and he knew that Klaus was too perceptive and that ke already knew he was lying but he wanted to try.

There was something new in Klaus’s eyes… was it… jealously ? Impossible. Klaus’s always though about him like a possession. He probably was pissed because he didn’t tolerate that someone else over him had put his hands, or her hands in that case, on one of his favorite toy.

“Whatever you ask of me… I will do”

Stefan really meant that words. He would have done anything to be forgiven by Klaus. Even if he knew he hadn’t done anything wrong, he knew he had hurt the hybrid and he felt guilty for that.
He didn’t regret to have protected Elena by the man the loved, he only regretted not to be strong enough to love him. To hate him, for everything Klaus had done to him. But he couldn’t.

“Fair enough” Klaus exclaimed getting up “Let’s drink on it. Kill them” he said pointing the two guys on bitted on the floor.

Klaus wanted made both Elena and Stefan suffer. He wanted revenge on them. They had dared hanging on him, they had played him for a fool all the summer and now he would have got his revenge turning their paradise into a living hell. He hated them.

“What are you waiting for ? Kill them”.

Klaus knew Stefan wouldn’t have dared to kill them, the younger “innocent” fool wanted Elena to believe he was still a good, vegetarian, controlled guy who would have never hurt anyone. Well, Klaus was going to destroy it, he would destroy the good Stefan Salvatore and he would have made his old lover Ripper come back.
Elena would despise him, she would never forgive him if he killed innocent people and Stefan would finally understand that Elena didn’t deserve him, that she had never accepted him or his vampire nature.
Stefan would come back to him.

“Stefan don’t. He’s not gonna hurt me, he already said…”

Klaus slapped her right into her face, not with all his strength even if he wanted to. He wanted to kill her over and over again, in front of Stefan. He wanted him to see her dying, while he couldn’t do anything to help her.
Stefan attacked him, trying to protect Elena, but Klaus stopped him and grabbed his throats. Klaus wanted to kill him but he did the mistake of looking him in the eyes, the eyes he loved so much, and for a moment he thought about going away, stopping all that craziness, trying to be forgiven by Stefan, but the anger was too strong.
‘You hurt me too’, that his eyes were saying.
‘I know. I’m sorry’, that was answering Stefan’s eyes.
Klaus was blind, too blind. For him, Stefan’s eyes were saying lies and nothing else.

“She means nothing to you ? Your lies just keep piling up”

“Let her go. I’ll do whatever you want, you have my word”

“Your word doesn’t mean much. I lived by your word all summer during which time I never had to resort to this” Klaus snarled very furious “Stop fighting and…”

“Please don’t do this” Stefan pleaded.

Stefan knew what Klaus was going to do. He wanted revenge, he wanted him to give up his feelings, his love for Elena, he wanted to give up everything who had made him a better person all that years. Klaus didn’t want Stefan to exist anymore, he wanted his Ripper back.
Now Stefan understood that he not only had to choose between Klaus and Elena, but who he really wanted to be.
Being Stefan Salvatore, the lovely innocent vegetarian guy made Elena fell in love with him, but he knew that, if he dared to drink human blood, she would have never seen him with the same eyes.
On the other end, Klaus didn’t fell in love with him, he fell in love with the Ripper, he wanted the ripper, he despised Stefan for who he became, he didn’t accept him for who he were. Klaus wanted his killer dangerous self back.
So, why did he had to choose between two persons who would never stop to impose him who to be ?
Why couldn’t both of them completely accepting him ?

“I didn’t want to. All I wanted was your allegiance, now I have to take it. You will do exactly as I say and I say you will not run, you will not hide, you’ll simple just obey”

“No, Stefan…”

“Now kill them, Rippah”

Stefan killed them, he drunk all their blood, he almost destroyed their jugulars when he bitted them. The girl first, then the boy. He killed them both. He didn’t want to, but he did, he wanted to stop himself, but he couldn’t, he didn’t want enjoy it, but a part of him, the Ripper inside of him, was screaming, was pleading him to continue, not to stop.
His Ripper self wanted come back in charge, wanted to take his place back, wanted to take his life. Stefan had to stop him, had to stop himself.
The worst part of the entire scenario was the Elena was looking him while he drunk them. He had been killing innocent people for the entire summer but he’s never felt so ashamed of himself like this time.
He was really hating Klaus in that moment and any feeling of regret or sadness toward the hybrid disappeared. Stefan didn’t deserve this, Klaus knew it but he was hurt him anyway. Klaus was trying to take everything away from him. If he had success, Stefan would never forgive him this time.

“Always nice to see a vampire in his true element , species one has become such a pretty hard” said Klaus in Elena’s ear.

“No, you did this to him” said Elena with anger.

“I invited him to the party, love, he’s the one who’s dancing on the table”

Klaus looked gleeful and happy while he was talking, but inside he was still suffering, a lot. A part of him knew he was doing something wrong, that that was cruel, that if he wanted Stefan back that wasn’t the best way to do, but another part didn’t care.
Stefan deserved this, he deserved to be who he really were, to show his true himself in front of the girl who was trying so stubbornly to suppress his nature.
Klaus had enough of seeing Stefan pretending to be someone who he wasn’t, and he had enough of Elena having so much power and influence over Stefan.
Elena was right, he was doing this to Stefan, he was the one who were setting him free, once and for all. Klaus wanted his cruel lover back, marked Stefan once and for all. He wanted Elena to understand that, no matter what she did, or what she said, Stefan would have always chose him over her. They belonged to each other. Stefan belonged to him. Klaus would shot it to everyone, as he had already had once.

…

Stefan Salvatore had always been a lovely young guy. Even when he was still human, people couldn’t take their eyes off him when he was in their same room.
He was a kind little boy, nice and gentle with everyone, that was the reason why he was considered the Golden Boy by everyone and had the admiration and respect of the entire town of Mystic Falls. He used to be the favorite of his father too for his good behave.
Even the most insensible of heartbreakers, like Katherine Pierce, fell in love with him at the end.
Who could have blame them ? Who could have blame Klaus for falling in love with the younger Salvatore ?
The same Klaus who turned off his humanity not to feel anything anymore, the same Klaus who hated the younger Salvatore with all himself the first time they met, the same Klaus who swore to himself than he would never fall in love with someone again. The same Klaus who tried so hard not to fall in love with his former best friend.
But now… now he was seeing him, his Stefan, dancing with his sister Rebekah and he couldn’t take his eyes off them, even if that sight was irritating him.
He should have, but he was so jealous of his sister, because she could dance with Stefan in front of anyone, because she didn’t feat to look weak only because she was in love with someone.
Would have Klaus had the same courage to show his love for Stefan ?
Klaus had always laughed at Rebekah for her tendency of falling in love too easily, but now what about him ? He has known Stefan only for few days and he was already in love with the little fool.
How could that happen ? How could he didn’t notice he was falling in love with Stefan Salvatore ?
Klaus didn’t even understand he loved the other vampire until their first kiss. The kiss which bounded them together, forever.
When their lips touched, Klaus felt complete, safe, happy, scare… in love.
And now ? Now his own jealously was devouring him. He always been possessive over is properties and even if he knew Stefan would never appreciate being considered a property, a toy or something like that, but Klaus considered him his and Stefan had to accept that.
Klaus would never allowed anyone else to be with Stefan, to touch him, or kiss him or love him. He would punish everyone who dare to take Stefan away from him, whoever who would tried to change him.
As a vampire, he had a better hearing than humans and he didn’t escape the comment of two women who were sitting not far from him.

“Nora, darling, are you seeing that gorgeous young man who’s dancing with that beautiful blonde girl ?”

“Of course Isabelle. I couldn’t have noticed him only if I were blind. Fortunately I’m not. He’s really a gorgeous young man. That blond girl is really lucky for dancing with him. I’m sure he’s going to ask her hand, sooner or later. They’re an adorable couple”.

“Totally agree. If I was her, I would do everything to being his wife. I’m sure he’s a rich boy too. Don’t know why, but something in him’s suggesting me that.”.

Klaus stopped to listened the two tedious women who had already said enough.
He didn’t want, he knew it was irrational, but he was really hating his sister in that moment. Why her ? Why other considered Stefan her boyfriend ? Why did that women say that they were going to marry ? Why did they talk about wedding in the first place ?
The only though of Stefan belonging with someone else forever was enough to make Klaus losing his mind.
That was because he proposed to Stefan to go out for a walk together. He said he wanted go somewhere else than Gloria’s and Stefan accepted his invitation.
Klaus took him into a secret club, owned by another old friend of him, an old vampire, who was temporary in charge of that place whose name Stefan would never remembered about.

“It’s nice” he commentated when he entered.

“Yeah, it’s nice that there’s a place where we can be ourselves. Here we can find humans who were already under compulsion, there aren’t witches who try to control us, There are only we and our.. food…”

“Now I like this place even more. Who’s gonna be our first victim ?” asked Stefan looked at some girls who were sitting all alone in a corner, with the blank stare, almost lifeless.

“Pick the one you like the most” said Klaus.

Stefan came closer to one of them, he grabbed her hand with kindness but he bitted her roughy and the girl gasped for pain, even if she wasn’t exactly consciousness of what was happening to her in that moment.
Then he gently grabbed her throat and then he licked her neck and bitted it.
He gave her few bites and a long trail of blood run down her neck.
Stefan didn’t want kill her faster, he wanted enjoy his meal, bite after bite.
Klaus was really enjoying he view. He loved seeing Stefan feeding and killing his victims, he was almost coming closer to him, but the owner of the place, his old friend, arrived that moment, next to him.

“My, my… what are seeing my eyes ? My old pal’s here tonight, in my little club. How long haven’t we seen each other, Niklaus ?”.

The man was a gorgeous you man, whose didn’t seem older than thirty. He had dark brown hair, pale skin, green eyes and with delicate facial features.

“Not so much, Alexander. I see your business is going well”.

“Thanks to prohibitionism. Girls, boys, humans of all ages come here to drink something decent, I give it to them and they… well, pay me back in not a traditional way. But who cares ? My fellow vampires are happy of this. Who am I to spoil their fun?”.

“In fact, I’m here for a little fun. I got bore to be always careful of not be seeing drinking by someone in the Gloria’s. At least here I can do whatever I want and drink how much I want” said Klaus.

“I know that Gloria doesn’t leave vampires a lot of freedom. How blame her ? Humans are her clients, vampires are mine. So… pick a girl and have fun as that lovely young vampire there” said Alexander pointing toward Stefan.

Klaus followed Alexander’s look and he didn’t like how the other vampire was looking at Stefan.
Alexander was looking at his property as he was a delicious dessert.

“He’s Stefan Salvatore, he’s with me”, said Klaus emphasizing the word “with”.

Alexander understood him quickly and he apologized for his mistake. Klaus ignored him and his useless words. He wanted to kill him, only to have dare commenting Stefan like that. How did he dare ?
How everyone dare ?
Only now, that Klaus was looking around, he noticed that other vampires in the club were looking at Stefan with a clear desire in their eyes. Fortunately, Stefan still was completely focused on his first victim to notice he was observed by half people in the club.
When the younger vampire got tired of his first meal, he looked up towards Klaus and he smiled to him, It wasn’t an overbearing grin, but a kind small sincerely smile and it was all for Klaus.
Klaus didn’t smile back, he knew the other vampire was looking at him, curious to see the famous Original hybrid they’d been hearing so much about with their eyes and also curious to know if him and Stefan were together.
Klaus did just what he always did, he came closer to Stefan and sit near him on the couch.

“What ? Aren’t you enjoy the evening ?” asked Stefan, who had already understand that something wasn’t right.

“It’s not this. I don’t like how the other are looking at you.”

“Are other vampires looking at me ? Don’t be ridiculous. There’re looking at me only because they fear I can steal all the best meals” Stefan joked.

“You’re such young and naïve sometimes…” Klaus whispered almost with resignation.

Stefan didn’t heard, he was going to bit another girl, but Klaus grabbed his chin and made Stefan look him in the eyes.

“I’m hunger…” Klaus whispered bringing his face close to the other boys, and with an evident desire in his cold blue eyes.

“Then, do what you told me to… pick the one you like the most…” said Stefan, almost hypnotized by Klaus’s eyes.

“Ouch, love… I’m sure I’m going to follow my own advice…”

Stefan was going to talk again, but Klaus grabbed him by his throat and then, gently, he bitted him, sucking his blood as his life was depending on it.
Stefan almost moaned, but he stopped himself in time. He didn’t know how he should have felt about it. Was a good thing that another male vampire was sucking his blood in that erotic way ?
In front of other vampires who were looking at them with strange look on their face.
Some of them were devouring by jealously and envy, but Klaus didn’t care.
Stefan belonged to him, he was… he was… his… everything. He was his everything.
And now every one would know this.
Stefan felt the werewolf genome entered in his veins, but he didn’t retried, he didn’t try to stop Klaus or to push his teeth out of his skin. He liked it. Even if it was dangerous… the masochist part of Stefan was truly enjoying that moment and he wanted Klaus to bit him deeper.
Stefan blushed, maybe he was too young for a vampire and he didn’t still know everything he needed to know, but Lexi had explained him that if a vampire bitted another ones in that ways it means that he belonged to him.

“Yes you belong to me…” said Klaus, almost like he had read Stefan’s thoughts “You will belong to me forever”.

…

“He still could be my everything”, Klaus thought.

Klaus was really enjoying the show but then a living blonde hurricane entered in the room.

“Where’s my necklace ?” asked Rebekah entering inside the room.

“What are you talking about ?”.

“she has my necklace. Look” said Rebekah giving a cell to Klaus.

“Well well, more lies” said Klaus after seeing a picture of Stefan and Elena together and the famous necklace around the doppelgänger’s neck.

“Where is it ?” asked Rebekah to Elena.

“I don’t have it anymore” answered Elena.

“You’re lying”.

Rebekah attacked Elena and bitted her, but Klaus took her away and Elena fell on the floor.

“Knock it off !” shouted Klaus.

“I can her tell me where it is, Nik” shouted Rebekah back.

“Where’s the necklace, sweetheart ? Be honest” said Klaus getting on his knees.

“I’m telling the truth. Katherine stole it” answered Elena.

“Katerina , of course”

Klaus, if possibile, was even more furious now. Katerina was one of the people he wanted to kill the most, especially now that she was interfering into his plans.
Klaus was already imagining about million times to make that bitch suffer but now he had other things to fix if he wanted finally form his army oh hybrids.
He would deal with Katerina later.

“Well, this is unfortunate. If we had the necklace it would have made things a lot of easier for your witch but since we do this in the hard way… Let’s put a clock on it, shall we ?” said Klaus.

He turned on the Timer and said “Twenty minutes ! Bonny hadn’t find the solution by then I want you to feed again and this time…” he said looking Stefan in his eyes “I want you to feed on Elena. You know you want to”

‘Please, don’t do this to me’, that was what Stefan’s eyes were saying. Klaus didn’t care.

“Oh Klaus… don’t do this to him” said Elena, almost as she read in Stefan’s mind.

“If she tries to run, fracture her spine”

Then Klaus went away and Stefan remained alone with his fear, his pain and his anger.
Klaus was perfectly capable of holding a grudge, indeed he knew exactly what he had to do when it came to hurt him.
Klaus knew his weakness… loyalty, love, friendship… the list was too long.

“I’m sorry Elena” he said.

Stefan didn’t even know what he was apologizing for. Was he apologizing for having kill in front of her ? Was he apologizing for his incapacity of stop himself from killing two innocent people ?
Or worst… was he apologizing for turning his humanity off a long time ago ? For having being a Ripper ? For having been in love with Klaus ? For being in love with Klaus, actually.
Stefan knew he should have got over his love for Klaus but he couldn’t.
His friends would never accept that.
But… was loving Klaus forever so wrong ? Even afte everything the hybrid had done to him ?
Stefan didn’t want to move one, Klaus was his everything, not Elena.
But Elena was the one who needed his loyalty and protection, not Klaus. But he knew he couldn’t fight Klaus’s compulsion for too much time, but he could try to stop him for enough time to let her run away.
There were only six minutes when time ran out and Elena was begging him not to surrender at Klaus’s will, she was begging him to continue to fight, she was praying him to be strong enough for her, but Stefan couldn’t ignore his feelings anymore, he couldn’t fight his love, he couldn’t, he didn’t want to.
At some point time ran out, he begged Elena to run aways, she did.
She was running away from him, while he was trying to stop compulsion, when Klaus caught her again.

“Now this is fascinating, I’ve never seen this before. The only thing stronger than your craving for blood, is your love for this one girl. Why don’t you turn it off ?” asked Klaus coming closer to Stefan.

“No” said Stefan.

“Come one ! This humanity is killing you. All the guilt must be exhausting. Turn it off”

“No !” Stefan shouted.

“Stefan…” Elena whispered.

“You’re strong but you’re not that strong. Turn it off”

“Nooo !”.

Stefan pushed Klaus away, but the hybrid pushed him back against the wall.

“Well well… If you’re really determinate to suffer, to feel and to be so… weak… who am I to deny this to you ? Indeed… I have an idea… You and my new hybrid will go with me….”

“What…”

“You will stay at my side for the rest of your misery life but not as a friend, or a lover, or an alley, but as my slave. I’m going to make you suffer, you’re going regret to have ever hurt me as you have done. I can assure you”.

Then Klaus snapped his neck.