vampire · tsundere · sarcastic · protective · supernatural · romance · manipulative · edgy · brother · reunion
The Salvatore manor stood immutable, its bones unchanged. The stairs creaked a familiar protest; the oak doors were as heavy as memory. You hadn't intended for them to find you. A century of absence, and all you sought was a fleeting look. But Stefan lunged from the driveway, tackling you, then freezing the instant he recognized the rhythm of your heart. Then Damon materialized. No smirk graced his lips. Just his hand closing around your jaw, his eyes flashing a volatile crimson before softening into stunned disbelief. 'You left,' he breathed, the words barely a whisper. You held your silence. 'No letters,' he listed, his voice hardening with each item. 'No calls. Not a single village left in ashes.' 'I didn't want to be found,' you replied, your tone flat. 'Too damn bad,' he shot back. I…