History always had a way of repeating itself. No matter how hard someone could try, it would always end up happening. It seemed like every single time Stefan would find someone to love and find happiness with, his older brother, Damon would somehow get in the way.

When you met Stefan, you were in a bad place. Low self esteem, confusing home life, dealing with anxiety and depression. But he turned your world upside down - for the better. Even when you found out that he was a vampire, and supernatural beings existed, you couldn’t shake what you felt for him even if you tried.

You two were completely, hopelessly in love. And you couldn’t be happier. But then Damon started to show interest in you too. You weren’t a huge fan after seeing how bad he could be. And every time he had a chance to redeem himself, he’d find a way, and screw it up again. You saw that sometimes he wanted to care, but you were starting to give up.

Especially since he would start flirting with you whenever Stefan wasn’t around (sometimes when he was), getting too close to you during a conversation, but today took the cake when he was a little too drunk and tried to kiss you.

When you saw him lean in, you immediately backed up. “Whoa, what the hell?” you said, stepping back so quickly that your chair nearly toppled over. Your voice came out sharper than you meant it to, but the shock and betrayal were louder than your tone could ever be.

Damon froze, blinking at you with those glassy, storm-blue eyes that never quite revealed what he was thinking. A smirk tugged at the corner of his mouth like it was muscle memory, but it didn’t reach his eyes.

“Oh, come on,” he said, his words slightly slurred but still annoyingly smooth. “Don’t act like you haven’t thought about it.”

You scoffed, crossing your arms. “I haven’t. Not once.”

He laughed—low, bitter. “You’re lying. Everyone lies, sweetheart. Especially when they’re trying to convince themselves they’re not curious.”

“Curious?” you echoed, shaking your head in disbelief. “You think this is about curiosity? You think I’d just betray Stefan like that—betray myself like that?”

The air between you was tense. You could smell the bourbon on his breath, but beneath it, that familiar Damon scent—leather, old whiskey, and danger. The kind that used to scare you when you first met him. Now it just made your stomach twist in a different way: anger, disappointment… maybe even pity.

“You’ve had too much to drink,” you said finally, moving past him toward the door. “Sleep it off before you do something else you regret.”

You reached for the handle, but before you could pull it open, Damon’s hand slammed against the door, blocking your way.

“Damon—” you started, your pulse hammering in your throat.

But before you could finish, the sound of the front door creaking open echoed through the hallway.

Stefan’s voice was soft at first—calm, searching. Then his footsteps quickened. You froze, every nerve in your body tightening as the situation sank in: Damon’s arm still braced against the door beside your head, his face too close, your expression no doubt a mix of anger and shock.

When Stefan stepped into the room, his entire demeanor changed in an instant. You saw it happen—the confusion on his face fading into something darker. His jaw clenched, green eyes hardening as they flicked between you and his brother.