somanyadjectives | fifty shades of stefan } { don't believe the lights are shining, any place but there [1904]

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fifty shades of stefan } { don't believe the lights are shining, any place but there [1904]

[Continued from here.]

Ten years, as promised, and Stefan doesn't forget. Evening of the first night of the World's Fair has him standing on the bridge facing the statue of Saint Louis, hearing the faint sounds of revelry in the distance. There is so much he wants to do and see, but a promise is a promise, and he isn't going to abandon his date for the evening.

Provided, of course, that she remembers and elects to attend, but that's another matter entirely. For however long it takes, he will wait.

The past decade hasn't been a particularly easy one. The absence of his brother is starting to weigh on him, and while he wishes he knew where Damon is or what he is doing, he also knows that Damon promised him an eternity of misery. That is a promise that he knows Damon fully intends to keep, no matter how sorry Stefan is. He can only hope that he can keep being better, top prove to him that he isn't the burden that Damon believes to be saddled with.

Damon left because Stefan couldn't control himself. Clearly allowing Lexi to teach him control and prove that to Damon is the only way to try and bridge that gap between them.

All the same, he stands and waits for Diana, the first thing he's been excited for in almost ten years. If she doesn't arrive on the first night, he'll continue to wait for every night until she does arrive. Hopefully it will be sooner rather than later, though. There is so much of the fair to see.

[Continued here.]

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"I think it depends on what you mean by change." He gives a bit of a shrug as he does. "We don't just adapt our clothing or the way we wear our hair or our speech. The world changes everyone as they live through it - it changes the way we see it and how we see ourselves in it. That effects everyone, whether it's a human or a vampire."

"Not as much for some people," she said, giving him a lopsided smile. "There are still some vampires out there in powdered wigs." She gave his arm a squeeze. "But you and I, are different, aren't we?"

She gave him a dismissive wave. "Now I want to hear more about the last ten years. How's your Lexi?"

"Lexi is good," he says with a nod. "She still ... insists on getting into all kinds of trouble on my birthday. Not that I really understand the urge, but lately, it's been the only time I see her, so I don't complain."

Once a year? Well, that was interesting. It seemed to indicate that Stefan had gotten better at controlling his impulses. Enough that Lexi trusted him on bis own.

But also sounded rather lonely.

"Any other girls?"

He pauses for a moment, consider, before shaking his head. "Nothing ... permanent. I see Stella every so often, or one of my other friends. The problem with being vampires, I suppose, is that we always have to keep moving."

She offered him a small smile. "I didn't mean friends," she pointed out, trying to sound delicate.

He laughs a bit at that. "I had a feeling you didn't. But I think it's best to keep some things private, don't you?"

Diana frowned thoughtfully. "Yes," she supposed. "That would be the proper thing to do. Although, to tell you the truth, lately, I haven't been so proper myself."

Now was as good a time as any, she decided, to tell him.

"I...met someone."

There's a part of him that knows he should probably be jealous. Maybe she expects him to. But despite their tryst in the woods the last time they saw each other, he doesn't have any expectations from his relationship with Diana. He's simply happy to have her friendship.

"Really? Tell me about him." There's a beat. "Or ... her, if that's the case." It's not common, but that doesn't mean it doesn't exist, especially among vampires.

The idea of meeting a 'her' was something that Diana would not be prepared to explore for a few more decades, but she had to admit there was something intriguing about it. The appeal of things 'against the rules' only seemed to grow stronger every day. Much to Selene's consternation. And Artemis probably wasn't too pleased with it either.

And Liam was just Liam.

She gave Stefan a bit of a shy shrug. "You'll just make fun of me."

"I will not," he says with a small smile. "Well, I can't promise that if his name is something like ... Leopold or Edgar or something equally ridiculous." He gives a bit of a grin. "But I promise. I will treat this potential suitor I have never met with the seriousness it deserves."

"There's nothing wrong with Leopold or Edgar," she replied. They were both fine, English names and even if her accent had gone the way of the doodoo, she was still proud of her heritage.

Most of the time.

"His name is Clarence," she replied awkwardly. "And I wasn't exactly worried about his name."

"Clarence," he says with a nod. Not a bad name to start with. He glances back to her with a smile. "So tell me about Clarence." He's not planning on mocking her at all, he promises. "Seriously, I want to know. I won't make fun of him, or you."

She gave him a dubious look. Perhaps it wasn't that she didn't trust Stefan, so much as that Selene had already given her a fairly brutal ribbing over this one, far worse than anything she'd ever received for Joseph.

"He's a...sweep," she said, almost bracing for the laughter.

His eyebrows climb a bit at that, confused by the terminology for the moment. "Like a chimney sweep?" He doesn't sound like he's going to laugh, so don't assume he will.

"Yes," she admitted.

And, as Selene continually berated and reminded her, so very incredibly beneath her.

Only he wasn't.

Stefan would forever receive all the credit for reminding Diana that she was still alive. That her life could go on, even without Joseph. That she had passion and she had excitement and that she could have other people. But Clarence was a human. And, for the first time in a hundred years, he was her human. And it wasn't for his clothes or his status or his titles.

He made her smile.

He nods a moment in agreement. The idea of anyone being "beneath" them is laughable to Stefan. "Interesting. How did you meet?" It's easier to understand the choice if he's heard the whole story.

The fact that he was taking her seriously--at a time when no one ever took her seriously--made Diana curl her arm a little bit tighter around his. And she gave him one of her most brilliant smiles as a reward.

"He was hired to sweep the chimney in Liam's east coast estate where I was staying," she said. "But we actually met on the street. Near that little tavern where you and I went dancing after the opera."

"Ah," he gives a bit of a grin. "So it seems like things worked out well for everyone then." More or less, at any rate. It's good that she has someone, though. Having someone in your life can keep you grounded in interesting ways.

If there was one word that could never, ever, ever be applied to Diana--at least on her own--it was 'grounded.' But Stefan was right, of course. Having people in her life to care about did wonders for her. And when Diana cared, she cared with everything in her being.

She turned toward him, giving him a kiss on the cheek. "I don't think I ever thanked you properly. That night changed my life."

"For the better, I hope. Otherwise I would be surprised you're thanking me." He's teasing mostly, but he's glad that he's been able to help her, even if it's in a little way. It's something he's been struggling to do as a vampire. It makes it hard to find the balance of helping people versus wanting to tear their throats out.

"Well, of course for the better, you goop," she said, nudging him in the ribs with her elbow. "But if we keep this up, I'm going to start gushing. And believe me, you don't want to see that."

And they didn't have the time to waste.

"Pick an exhibit. Let's visit something."

Stefan agrees - there was certainly too much to see for her to start gushing. He scans the tops of heads for a moment, before nodding towards what looked like a giant wire dome. "Shall we investigate the aviary?" It goes with her dress if nothing else.

"Oh, I love birds!"

It was easy to see why. They were rather like her in a lot of ways. Delicate. Flighty. And, of course, they were called songbirds for a reason.

Well, the ones that actually sang, anyway.

"Yes! Let's!"

Stefan grins before turning and leading the way through the crowd, doing his best not to cut and elbow his way into the exhibit too much. If there were any problems, he could probably compel them away, but he didn't want to have to.

This was a bit about being human - if only for a little while.

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