(no subject)

[sunrises]

i.

She's fifteen the first time they meet. Elena would later swear up and down that it felt like some stupid shoujo manga, where it was love at first sight, but in that moment, it didn't feel like she had just laid eyes on her soulmate.

Dad had dragged them down to Atlanta for a conference, so she and Jeremy had occupied themselves by wandering between conference rooms. Jeremy ditched her first for video games in the lobby, so Elena had marched off to the coffeeshop in protest.

As she waits patiently in line, standing on her very tip-toes to see the menu, she bumps straight into the person in front of her. "I'm so sorry!"

He turns around to face her. It's his warm, almost blinding smile she notices first. "It's okay." His voice is soothing too, almost like he knows exactly what to say when.

Elena can't hide her laughter. "I don't know, I was pretty clumsy there."

He steps to the side, allowing her to see the menu better. It's just Starbucks - the one amazing coffee chain they don't have in Mystic Falls - so she savors every word on that menu. "Eh, it's not like this is a rare..." he trails off, noticing the look on her face.

Elena's sure her face is beet-red by now. "Sorry."

"No, I just... you really don't have one of these where you're from?" His smile returns. "Man, that's impressive. If you're into coffee, I'd recommend either their chai latte or one of their frappuccinos."

Right on cue, the line moves so that it's his turn to order. "Come on, I'll treat you."

"I-it's okay, I have money right here." Now she's too embarrassed to say her mom gave it to her, when this gentleman's being way too nice to a complete stranger.

He shakes his head, going ahead and ordering two chai tea lattes ("because you seem like you have enough energy already"). Elena almost elbows him for that one. Almost, since he's treating her to a drink.

A whole two minutes pass before Elena remembers her manners. "I'm Elena, by the way."

He holds up a coffee drink in solidarity. "Tom. It's good to meet you, Elena. I've actually gotta run back to a conference-"

"You mean the one for doctors?" Elena tilts her head. "That's funny, my dad's one of the speakers."

"No way! Who is he? Dr. Williamson?"

"No, Dr. Grayson." She takes a sip of her latte - mm, he has good taste! - and tries not to laugh at the thought of her dorky dad lecturing to hundreds of young medical professionals. "He's done a lot of molecular biology research? Or something? I haven't really paid much attention."

Tom whistles softly. "I was planning on attending his lecture. It's in about ten minutes."

"Then why don't I join you?" Elena grins mischievously. "It'll be fun to watch him be really confused when I'm in the audience."

Tom laughs, but doesn't dissuade her as they head back towards the hustling doctors moving to and fro. While they end up splitting paths at the end of the conference, he does give her dad his number ("just in case").

ii.

The second he hears about her parents' funeral, Tom drove straight from Atlanta for the funeral. While they rarely visited Atlanta, Tom and Dad had kept in touch over emails, and okay, maybe Elena sent him way too many texts, but she had secretly appreciated his company. Tom's corny jokes amused even Jeremy, and he sure could cook better than Aunt Jenna. Elena wanted to object to his affection, because she was a big girl and she didn't need affection from anyone, but his embrace was so warm that she no longer wanted to.

He takes a job up at Mystic Falls' hospital as a paramedic - he had just graduated college - "because he doesn't trust your Aunt Jenna to cook y'all proper meals."

Aunt Jenna had opened her mouth to protest, only for Jeremy to lamely hold up the energy bar that was supposed to be his lunch. Case closed: Tom would stick around as long as he was needed.

Their house feels just a little bit less empty, and Elena learns to fall asleep on his shoulder as they watch dumb movies together. Jeremy sometimes jokes that they should get married already, but Aunt Jenna always shushes him before the joke goes too far. Tom's not that much older than her - he'd just turned twenty-one - but when she's a sixteen year old girl, five years is a long time. He'd already experienced college, for crying out loud.

As much as Elena wants to be with him, she also knows that right now, she's not ready, and he's definitely out of her ballpark. At least, so she tells herself every day, when she opens her lunch and sees a sticky note peeking out from Tom and Jenna.

With love, he always signs.

If he truly didn't want to be with her, he would have headed home by now... right?

iii.

A new guy had enrolled in school today. Bonnie had just declared his backside "incredibly hot" until he turns around and...

"I didn't know Tom had a little brother." Bonnie's brow furrows, as she turns back towards Elena. "Did you?"

Elena shrugs hopelessly, because last time she checked, Tom was quick to mention how Jeremy and Jenna had become 'the siblings he never had.' His known family was up in Portland, so they weren't exactly picnicking in Virginia. "He's an only child."

The new guy, as it turns out, is named Stefan Salvatore. Caroline proudly rattles off a whole laundry list of accomplishments, about his birthplace, his family, his life... none of it particularly interests Elena. She's much too preoccupied with wondering how this Stefan and her Tom share the same face. So she decides that she's going to confront him after school and ask him once and for all.

Except then she gets too impatient, so right before English, she dumps her books on his desk and goes, "Thomas Avery."

Stefan stares blankly at her. "Uh."

"Tell me how you're related to him."

"I..." Stefan inhales sharply. "I didn't even know he was in town."

So they were related? Elena casts a suspicious glance. "He's never mentioned you before."

"Yeah, well.. I can't blame him. We're third cousins? Something ridiculously distant." And yet you have his face.

Elena doesn't buy his lie one bit, but considering how reluctant Stefan is to discuss the subject, she sweeps her books off his desk and marches to the back of the room. When she overhears Bonnie and Caroline apologizing for her ("I swear, I don't know what's gotten into her"), she's half-tempted to glare at them all.

Stefan had them all eating out of his athletic little fingers, and if he had his way, she too would be singing his praises to the moon.

iv.

When she asks Tom about Stefan, about his face stealer, Tom just bursts into laughter for a solid thirty seconds. It's only when he regains his composure and notices the disgruntlement on her face that he goes, "Wait, you're serious?"

Her tone of voice didn't make it obvious? She doesn't have to say a word for him to hold up a hand in defeat.

"Look, I'm sorry, I just... I know of Stefan Salvatore, but we've never met." Tom thoughtfully taps a finger against his cheek. "You swear he enrolled in your school today?"

When Elena nods, his brow immediately furrows with worry. "I think we're going to make some changes around here."

She doesn't get a chance to ask, because Jenna walks through the door, and Tom's tone changes as he informs her that they're having breakfast for dinner. Again. ("I'm starting to hate waffles," Jenna quips as she hangs up her purse.)

Whatever plans Tom has, she's not sure she really wants part in them.

v.

As it turns out, Tom knows a friend of a friend who's willing to sponsor Elena's next two years of high school.

"B-but I can't... my friends..."

Tom's face grows dark. "Trust me. It'll be easier this way."

Something about Tom's face-stealer worries him - worries him so deeply that he's planning for her to flee down to Atlanta with him. Elena's not quite sure why, but she trusts him with her whole heart. They sit there at the kitchen table, with her gently stroking his hand, until Jenna again walks through the door with a friend.

"Stefan dropped by," she announces, allowing him to head over. "And..."

Jenna stops and stares, once her eyes draw from Stefan to Tom. "And you two have the exact same face."

Stefan smiles apologetically. "I had no idea you were going to be in town."

"So why are you sticking around?" Tom asks, the anger in his voice rising with each word. "Elena's going to be just fine."

"I... I wasn't planning on it, actually." Stefan gnaws on his lips, his gaze constantly flickering between Tom and Elena. He stands up a little straighter, his hands gripping the edge of the table tightly.

Stefan and Tom may have the same face, but when confronted with them for the first time, Elena notices the little differences. Stefan styles his hair meticulously; Tom doesn't even bother. Stefan dresses casually, whereas Tom's a bit more formal and religious (Tom has a cross necklace, Elena thinks, but Stefan has a flashy ring).

However, they strangely share some kind of fear about her, as if her mere existence is enough to trip the balance.

"You know what?" Stefan inhales sharply. "I'm... I'm gonna..."

Just before he turns around, the door rings.

vi.

Elena doesn't want to answer it. She's too tired of this world where Stefan has Tom's face; where Jenna's too shellshocked to even complain about Tom's waffles; and where Jeremy's so high that he just laughs at Stefan ("hey you have a twin! Sweet!"). No one's courageous enough to correct the stoned kid, so he just sauntered upstairs without another word.

Stefan and Tom exchange uneasy glances before they go answer the door.

An incredibly handsome, dark-haired man was leaning against the door frame - until he notices Tom's face. His brow furrows, and then he complains, in quite possibly the most annoying voice Elena has ever heard, "What? There's two of you now too?"

Tom snorts. "Who's this?"

"My brother." Stefan glares at the handsome stranger, or supposedly - Elena can't tell from this distance.

"Give it up, Stef," The stranger sighs, his gaze falling on Elena in the background. "History's clearly repeating here, and I'd rather not meet this nice gentleman's smoking hot older brother."

Tom stares. "But I-"

"What? No, you can't do that! We just got here." Stefan folds his arms.

"Too late, little bro. Things to do, people to see, places to be..." The stranger yawned. "You know how it goes."

No, Elena really didn't - and judging from Stefan's mystified expression, he didn't either.

"So that's it, Damon?"

"That's it."

Stefan inhaled sharply. "I'm staying for dinner."

"Fine by me, brother." The stranger tips an imaginary hat, before turning on his heels. "I just hope this gentleman's brother lives to see another day."

Tom hastily slams the door shut.

Elena stares at them for what feels like forever, before she finally asks, "I thought Tom didn't... you know..."

"I'm so not telling that guy that," Tom snorts.

Stefan shrugs. "He'll at least have fun trying for the next two years." Two? This Damon had to be incredibly devoted to making life miserable if that were the case. Before Elena could press further, Stefan simply sits down at the table and piles food onto his plate.

Dinner was served – and it seemed Damon didn't plan on sticking around.

vii.

Stefan doesn't enjoy waffles as much as Tom. Elena's started to record every minute difference, because as much as Stefan's presence warms her heart, Tom's mere smile is enough to make her heart skip a beat. Tom makes her chicken noodle soup when she's sick; he stays up late watching cheesy movies with her; and he cares for her so much more wholeheartedly than anyone else in the world.

She's sure Stefan's a great guy.

She just doesn't think she can spend the rest of her life with a facestealer.

By the end of the week, Stefan kept his word: he had moved, claiming that his military parents had unexpectedly fallen ill. The stranger must have headed out with him, because there was a sudden decrease in animal attacks.

Tom's still uneasy. "They could always come back," he says quietly, one day when they're clearing the table. "How will you defend yourself then?"

Elena doesn't know. She figures the Salvatores are a threat somehow - that they would ruin her life if she drew close to their flame - but she doesn't want them. She knows now that she wants Thomas Avery more than any athletic or handsome Salvatore.

The only question is, how does she suppress the urge long enough so she doesn't make her desire seem so... creepy?

vii.

Her History teacher, Tanner, had finally been replaced with Mr. Saltzman. Jeremy takes a shining to him immediately: not only did the new teacher forgive Jeremy's grades but he also helped Jeremy by assigning extra credit essays.

Jenna likes him the most. Jeremy made the mistake of inviting him to dinner once, and the next thing Elena and Jeremy know, "Alaric" is a frequent dinner guest.

"Isn't it a conflict of interest?" Tom teases one evening, lightly pointing a fork in Alaric's direction. "I mean, you are teaching both of them."

Alaric just chuckles softly. "Can't be a conflict of interest if no one knows, right?"

"It's a small town, man." Jeremy rolls his eyes. "Gossip spreads like wildfire because there's nothing better to do."

"I wouldn't say that..." Alaric's gaze falls on Tom and Elena, as if they're his new specimens under a microscope.

Remotely everyone supernatural has said something about them once or twice. Bonnie had claimed that she gets "warm, fuzzy feelings" when they hold hands, as if "the universe has collided perfectly." (Elena was pretty sure Bonnie was also delusional.) Yet Bonnie's Grams had agreed, and so had Jeremy's new girlfriend Anna.

"You two remind me of people I used to know," Anna had said, after Elena had pressed her for details.

Was there some big inside joke that Elena didn't know? Because she sure wasn't getting the punchline. Anna and Alaric and even Bonnie had figured the truth - and the closer she got to it, the more Tom worried for her.

Out of respect for him, Elena tried to steer closer towards obliviousness and not knowing. She couldn't, however, stop the constant gnawing in her heart from the fear of the unknown.

viii.

The waiting game is the hardest one Elena's ever played. She tries not to hold onto some desperate crush (Tom's not one, her mind tells her) and instead throws herself into her schoolwork.

When she consistently receives A's on all her essays, even Bonnie's impressed. "Wow," Bonnie whistles softly. "I'm really proud of you, 'Lena."

"Thanks."

Tom sticks the grade on the fridge, "since it felt like the right thing to do." He and Jenna take Elena & Jeremy out for dinner, and for the first time, they started to feel like a family again. Jeremy makes some lame joke at Jenna's expense; Jenna claims she's too old for this bullshit; and Tom just laughs and laughs as Elena captures the moment on camera.

One week slowly becomes one month; a month becomes a year; and before she's quite realized it, the school year had all but disappeared. Stefan and his brother had kept their word: she hadn't heard from them in so long that they only feel like a distant memory.

Elena starts to capture more moments on camera, because she's afraid that when she blinks, the world will have moved on without her. Jeremy teases her about her new hobby, in that "did you steal it from me?" kind of way. She just takes more pictures of his grandiose teasing efforts.

Tom asks, somewhat randomly, if she'd ever thought about submitting her photos to art magazines. It's not that Elena hates artistic magazines. She just thinks that her pictures capture life more than they capture art. Life, after all, is worth more words than a picture or two.

ix.

Some guy named Elijah was interested in Jenna's work with the Historical Society. (Frankly, they didn't even know Jenna had joined until she'd mentioned staying late to work with him.) Elena and Tom encounter him outside the town library, waiting as if he hadn't a care in the world.

Then his eyes meet theirs, and his brow furrows. "Katherine? ... Stefan?"

Elena and Tom exchange nervous glances.

"Uh," Elena finally says, in the utmost eloquent manner. "Katherine who?"

"Oh, no, no," Jenna calls, laughing as she leans in to kiss Elena's forehead. "That's my niece, Elena Gilbert. I told you about her, Elijah, remember?"

The confusion doesn't dissipate. Elijah stands rooted to his corner of the street, unwilling to bend. "I'm sorry, you just... you look so much like her."

Tom's face darkens, and in that moment, Elena thinks she understands the inside joke.

x.

Once Elijah had left town - thanks to Bonnie's hasty work - Tom sits down with her and a good, tall mug of cocoa. "I really think we should leave town this time."

"What, because these two people - Katherine and Stefan - have our faces?"

"It's... a bit more complicated than that." Tom inhales sharply. "I've been keeping in touch with Stefan, and it seems that there's this... this thing called the Doppelganger Theory. Old wives say that every few hundred years, two people are born into this world, destined to find each other and spend the rest of their lives with one another. It's kind of like red strings, except limited to two people."

The gnawing in her heart finally ceases. "So... you mean... we're the doppelgangers?"

He nods.

Silence threatens to creep around them, before Tom says awkwardly, "I know you're like, five years younger than me, and I didn't want to bring up the fact that our love is destined and all that crap because uh-"

She stands up, marches straight to him, and silences him with a kiss. Tom stares, looking into her eyes and really seeing her (all of her) before he sets down his mug and returns the kiss.

He runs his hands through her hair, just as she sits in his lap and thinks about how, how for the first time, some things in life finally make sense.

She lets go of him only to breathe. Scanning his eyes, she says quietly, "I'm sorry. I've just... I've loved you for so long..."

"I know."

Somehow, that confession means more to her than the entire world. Elena gulps in another breath before clinging to him even more tightly.

xi.

Like a proper gentleman, Tom drew the line at her bedroom.

"For God's sake, Elena, I'm still one of your legal guardians. I can't just..." He groans. "I'm not into child grooming!"

She raises an eyebrow. "Does it count if we're reincarnated every few hundred years?" Though wait. If the legend goes that they're reincarnated every so often, just to fall in love all over again, what did that mean for Stefan?

Tom doesn't catch her misgivings. Instead, he reaches for his shirt and hastily tugs it back on. "Try telling that to Sheriff Forbes. I'm pretty sure there's a ruling against it somewhere."

He's so flustered - the poor dear - that she doesn't feel like questioning him further.

The next week, Tom turns his legal guardianship over to Alaric. Alaric, true to form, doesn't question it for a single moment. (He must have known all along, Elena realizes as she watches Tom and Alaric finish all the proper paperwork.)

Alaric must have known that the Doppelgangers were destined lovers; he must have known of Stefan and Katherine; and he must have supported Tom and Elena, because no one would otherwise have agreed to care for two teenagers and one exceptional paramedic.

Once everything is said and done, Alaric then gets on one knee and holds out an all-too familiar ringbox for Jenna.

Elena captures it all on camera, but in later years, she finds that she can recall the moment without a single reference. In one fell swoop, her dear teacher had not only become her legal guardian but also her uncle-to-be. That was true dedication.

xii.

Senior year flies by faster than Elena can count. From their fantastic senior prank (coordinated by Caroline!) to the rousing football rallies (conducted by Tyler and Matt) to even the creativity of their school newspaper (credit to Bonnie)... Mystic Falls High has never benefited from the euphoria of their senior class as before.

Even Alaric hums melodies under his breath when she catches him in the halls. Some students tease her about favoritism, as he's marrying into her family, but Elena always shrugs it off. She doesn't want to admit to teasing Mr. Saltzman about the exact same thing.

Tom isn't her date for Senior Prom. The town would gossip - and right now, Elena can't afford gossip. Not when she's counting down the days until she can drive down to Atlanta and attend college at Emory (her top choice).

Instead, she takes Tyler, as Matt is Caroline's date and Jeremy was already promised to Bonnie. Tyler's all stiff and nervous, asking her every two seconds if she's really sure that she wanted him as her escort. It's a strange change from the jock who ruled the football field.

"Of course," she says, squeezing his hand before she drags him onto the dance floor. She always was a better dancer than Ty, she thinks as the first slow song of the night plays, but right now, she just appreciates his company.

Tom's already waiting for her when she rolls in from the afterparties. Jeremy had promised Anna he'd spend the night at her place, so he didn't bother returning with her, but Tom? Tom was calmly folding laundry in front of the TV.

"Had a fun time?" There's a wistfulness in his voice, as he looks up at her.

She nods, sitting down next to him. She peeks - to see if Jeremy or Jenna is around - before kissing his cheek. "Would've been better if you were there."

"Maybe, but then the laundry would've never gotten done." He lightly taps her lap with a t-shirt.

"Clothes are kind of important." She laughs, reaching for another stack of clothes and folding them alongside him.

Prom may have been the most important night of senior year to Caroline or Bonnie, but to Elena, the most important night was any time she got to return home to this guy, safe and sound.

xiii.

After graduation - after the caps are tossed into the air - Alaric decides that they need a family road trip to Atlanta. Partially because he knows the area better than most of them, and partially because "I want to scope out all of Elena's future hangouts."

Jeremy groans, because why does he need a family vacation, but Jenna and Tom dragged him along regardless of the protests. "You can call Anna at whatever hour you want," Tom adds helpfully. "I'm sure she'll swoop down and save you from your mean family."

The vacation is a nice respite from Mystic Falls. Elena loves city life - even the honking of car horns - and the anonymity that comes with it all. Sure, Tom has friends from college and old jobs, but she has a chance to start anew, to forget this Katherine, and to forget the destiny of the Doppelgangers.

Alaric gets lost twice on the road, and it turns out that Jenna's allergic to one of the trail mixes. Despite their road trip adventures, Elena remembers the restaurants and the Atlanta skyline more than Tom sticking an epipen in Jenna's thigh. (Though she did get that last one on camera.)

Atlanta's going to be great for her, she thinks as she stares at the city from the safety of her car window. It'll be an extraordinary adventure.

xiv.

Most freshmen are required to live in one of the Emory dorms. The only exceptions, Elena finds out belatedly, are either by living at home with a parent or with a spouse. Tom is neither of those things.

"I'm not marrying you until you've graduated," Tom says firmly, when she lamely holds up the marriage license form. "It's okay, you'll live in a dorm for a year and then we'll work something out."

She doesn't want to live in a dorm when she already has the company of the world's greatest cuddler. Tom's firm, however, and so she reluctantly agrees to separate living conditions.

Alaric and Jenna see them both off in August, helping Elena unpack into her dorm and Tom into his new apartment. Jeremy remains in her room a little longer than necessary, before he reaches out and hugs her tightly.

"I'm gonna miss you," he whispers in her ear. "Take care of Tom too, you hear?"

She nods, refusing to let go of him - at least, until Aunt Jenna calls.

Ever since she was a kid, she had dreamt of college, of a wild four years where she'd indulge in just about everything and still have the time of her life. In this moment, she's rooted to the ground; in this moment, she wishes she were back in Mystic Falls.

At least her roommate - some girl named Rebekah - doesn't indulge her self-pity. "You've gotta live," she says in what Elena thinks is an Australian accent. "Come on, Elena. It's your time to shine."

xv.

Despite their vast differences, Elena quickly grows to love her roommate. Rebekah keeps a strange diet of salty, red juice (it tasted way too funny when Elena had a sip) and she's quite the night owl, but Bex knows how to throw a party.

"We only live once, right?" She laughs after a particularly rousing party caught the attention of their RA. "Gotta make every moment last."

Sometimes she questions Elena about Tom, when she's tired of learning more about the Gilbert family and their adventures in academia. Her eyes grow wistful as she stares at their Facebook pictures, but when Elena asks, she just says, "He reminds me of someone I used to know."

She must mean Stefan. Elena's not sure how Stefan falls into this picture, how he's managed to live for so long and tip the balance, but she's certain it isn't like Tuck Everlasting. Stefan didn't find the Fountain of Youth, and he certainly didn't evade death like Deadpool.

Elena doesn't easily believe in the supernatural, but one thing's for certain: whatever Stefan is, she doesn't want to find out.

Every time Elena asks Bex out to dinner to meet Tom, Bex always declines. "I think it's better off this way."

Mystified, Elena opened her mouth to ask, before clamping it firmly shut. It's not her place to know.

At 2 AM - when she can't lull herself to sleep - Elena stares up at their ceiling and asks, "Bex?"

"Yeah?" Bex's groggy voice calls back.

"Will you protect me?"

"From what?"

"I..I don't know. Just... the things that go bump in the night?"

Bex laughs, not unkindly. It's the first time Elena's heard such a warm, rich laugh from her. "Of course, darling. I said us girls have to stick together, right?" Sometimes, Bex's voice makes her sound far beyond her nineteen years.

"Thank you." Elena rolls over and holds on tight, to the vervain necklace Stefan had given her just before he'd skipped town. He had promised her safety, just as Bex had now promised hers.

Elena was never quite sure what she feared, but she thanked God every day for the people who assuaged her worries every time.

xvi.

Tom proposes to her the summer between her sophomore and junior year.

"It's about damn time," he had said, once she'd accepted the ring and held it up to the light.

Elena doesn't say so out loud, but she wholeheartedly agrees. She had wanted nothing more for the past five years - nothing more than a promise to be by his side, 'til death do they part.

Their wedding's a small but quiet ceremony in Mystic Falls that following year, where all of their friends and family had gathered to help them celebrate. Bonnie is Elena's maiden of honor, of course, but Caroline, Anna, and Rebekah are her sisters in crime; and Alaric walks her down the aisle in place of her father.

When she glances up from the flower-covered aisle, at the man who will forever be hers and Elijah as the best man, she blinks back tears furiously. This is almost everything she had ever wanted.

As she glances over the crowd during the vows, she can see Stefan and Damon quietly watching from the shadows. Now she has everything she had ever wanted, and surprisingly, all it taken was patience, time, and Damon's incredible ability to jump to unlikely conclusions.

"You may now kiss the bride," Bonnie's Grams announces proudly, with a smile that Elena wants etched in her memory forever.

Elena doesn't remember much of the reception, beyond the amazing kisses Tom shares with her and the warm toasts her family and friends share, but she doesn't really care either. She had finally earned her damn happy ending – at least, for the next few hundred years or so.